Aluminum Storefront Doors in Buffalo, NY

Commercial storefront entrances built for a Buffalo winter

Aluminum storefront is the glass-and-metal entrance system on the front of almost every retail unit, restaurant and office lobby. It is light, it takes heavy daily traffic, and it can be reglazed rather than replaced when the glass goes.

The detail that matters most in this climate is the thermal break. An insulating barrier between the exterior and interior aluminum. Without it, cold conducts straight through the frame, and you get condensation, frost rings on the inside of the frame and contraction that eventually cracks the glazing seal. We specify thermally broken systems as the default for Buffalo, not as an upgrade.

We handle the full range: new entrances on fit-outs, like-for-like replacement of racked or corroded systems, ADA operator retrofits, and emergency glass replacement after a break-in.

Owner’s Guide

Storefront problems and what they actually mean

The door drags or will not latch

Usually the door has dropped or the frame has racked out of square. On aluminum entrances this is normally a pivot, hinge or closer issue rather than a reason to replace the whole system. It is worth fixing early, because a dragging door wears the threshold and eventually the frame.

Frost or condensation inside the frame

That is the signature of a frame with no thermal break, conducting cold straight through the aluminum. It is not a glass problem and cleaning will not fix it. The long-term answer is a thermally broken replacement system.

Fogging between the panes

The insulated glass unit has lost its seal. The glass can be replaced without touching the frame, which is a comparatively cheap repair, and the sooner it is done, the less chance the moisture damages the glazing pocket.

Broken glass after a break-in

Call the emergency line first. We board the opening the same day so the premises are secure and trading, then return with the correct insulated tempered unit once it is cut. Tempered glass cannot be cut to size on site, so a temporary board-up is almost always part of the sequence.

Document it for insurance

Photograph the damage before anything is cleared. We provide written repair documentation that supports a claim.

Photograph the whole frame, not just the glass

Insurers frequently query frame damage later. Wide shots of the full opening save an argument weeks down the line.

Does the entrance meet ADA?

Four things get checked: clear opening width, threshold height, opening force and hardware reach. Older Buffalo storefronts frequently fail on opening force and threshold height. Both are usually fixable without replacing the entrance.