How Access Doors Have Improved Over the Years

Have you ever wondered why access doors are now necessary for building construction? Nowadays, you can find access doors and panels in just about every building, whether commercial or residential. If you have never used one, it's because you have never understood their purpose and importance in the construction world.

Access doors and panels have already been present for centuries. The usual white metal doors that we are familiar with today are the evolution of what they were back then. To understand more about how access doors have evolved year after year, here is a quick history.

Providing Crawl Spaces

Long before attics and basements came into popularity, crawl spaces were already in use. Crawl spaces started as a type of basement foundation. Because a crawl space is an enclosed space beneath the ground, moisture in such space became common. For decades, there was this misguided information that venting a crawl space would assist in abating water from building up and sitting in a crawl space.

Crawl spaces are not as functional as basements. Sometime in the 1950s, ventilating a crawl space became the best practice because airflow would reduce moisture and, in turn, reduce mold and health and structural concerns associated with it. As new technology kept emerging, they discovered that the conditioned air was going out of the crawl space vents. Moreover, aside from letting air in, other harmful things like bacteria and vermin could quickly enter the crawl space, which can be detrimental.

How Access Doors Were Invented

Our ancestors used fabric, curtains, or even something as simple as boarded holes on crawl spaces to cover them. Because of this, people started to invent access doors, a more flexible solution for quicker access. Back then, people created access doors only for security purposes, such as protecting people and their precious assets.

They forgot about crawl spaces, and basements or attics came into recognition when our ancestors realized they could conceal their valuables. It also served as decorative aspects to their buildings and homes by limiting access to several areas through the doors.

Without the invention of access doors, people might resort to always destroying the surface to gain access to these areas of the building. Surface destruction is not a practical way of gaining access to these areas of your structure. Hence, the importance of inventing access doors.

Uses of Access Doors in the 21st Century

You can now use access doors for different needs and applications, and dozens of solutions have emerged in the 21st Century. People eventually realized the same door that is ideal for a crawl space might not also be the best for some places like a plumbing space or an attic. Here are the types of access doors and their ideal modern uses.

Walls

Wall access doors serve several purposes, unlike other access doors. These doors give more convenient access to plumbing, cables, pipes, crawl spaces, or storage spaces.

Roofs

Nowadays, when you need access to your roof, you can save time and stay safe at the same time if you have a roof access door. Roof access doors and roof hatches make it easy for you to access the roof. In residential applications, you can use a roof access door to get to a roof patio. In commercial buildings, having a heavy-duty weather-resistant roof access door is a must. It is vital to have a roof door that is durable and won't rust so that it can last for years. If you want it to keep it in good condition even longer than usual, consider having it maintained from time to time by a professional contractor.

Ceilings

Specific building contractors use ceiling access doors to get into crawl spaces or attics. Others blend in seamlessly with the ceiling because of the use of an inlaid drywall ceiling door.

Floor Storage and Space

People use floor access doors for quick access to sewage systems, underground pipes, and wiring. Sometimes even used in storage areas. Because floor access doors have many uses, these doors can come in different sizes and materials. If you have significant belongings that need storing, you'll need floor access doors with more full dimensions.

Ducts

When ducts need to be cleaned or repaired, you can always rely on access doors. The most commonly accessed ducts are kitchen and laundry ducts.

Bathroom Plumbing

Like the ducts, bathroom plumbing also needs to be accessed during the cleanup, repair, or maintenance of the pipes. Having easy access to such areas will ensure the process to go smoothly and without any complications. One excellent option is an aluminum access door, which keeps moisture out as efficiently as possible.

Studio or Theater

This kind of access door is less commonly-used, and their purpose would be to hide cables and fiber optics for media centers. This access door must be easy to use, lightweight, and durable enough to withstand repeated opening and closing.

Over the years, access doors have discretely served the ever-evolving building construction industry. No matter where you use them-- homes, skyscrapers, factories, or even ground transportation, people consider them as silent saviors of mechanics, contractors, and hands-on professionals to help make the physical infrastructure run smoothly.

Access Doors and Panels, Your Reliable Supplier

Now that you have knowledge about access doors and how they have improved throughout the years, you might look for a reliable access door to install in your buildings. Many businesses and companies can sell them to you.

But why keep looking for another one when you already have Access Doors and Panels in front of you? We have all sorts of access panels and doors that you can choose, and each has its purpose and specialty to ensure it meets all of the requirements in construction.

Want to know more about different kinds of access doors and their importance to your construction project? Visit https://www.accessdoorsandpanels.com/ today. If you ever have any questions that need answering, we have our customer service representatives who can answer all of your questions.