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Spring hinges allow doors to close automatically or be held in the open or closed position. Depending on the size and weight of the door, spring hinges may be required in more than one hinge position, or a stronger spring hinge may be required. If spring hinges are used with additional architectural hinges, they must be ball bearing, not plain bearing hinges. A ball bearing hinge has ball bearings that contact the knuckles from jamb and door leaves. Ball bearing hinges operate smoothly as only the bearings contact the knuckles of the leaves. A standard butt hinge has the metal of both leaves knuckles contacting each other. They rub against each other as the door is opened and closed.

In some applications the spring hinge is used in place of a hydraulic door closer. Although it's more economical it may not produce the desired results. Unlike a door closer there is no "sweep" or "latch" control. The only adjustment is how much pressure is exerted onto the door. The more pressure the faster the door swings closed.

Double acting hinges will allow the door to open in and out, allowing the door to be pushed open in either direction.. A double acting hinge is created by adding a third leaf and a second pin/knuckle assembly. The double acting hinge is capable of operating in two directions. When the door is opened in one direction, two leaves of the hinge remain flat against the frame side while the third hinge rotates with the door. When the door is opened in the opposite direction, one leaf of the hinge remains flat against the frame side while the second and third hinge rotate with the door. A good example is a restaurant kitchen/dining room door application where people will be entering and exiting on a repeated basis.

Inside stop hinges normally operate from the 0 degrees or closed position towards the open position, stopping at 90 degrees. Outside stop hinges normally operate from the 180 degrees or flat, open position, towards the closed position, stopping at 90 degrees. For special applications, some hinge manufacturers furnish special stop angles.

Decorative hinges in a variety of styles and shapes. They add style to the common hinge. Although not commonly used on today's commercial office buildings, some older buildings can have an exquisite examples of them. With all of the sources at our fingertips on the Internet, you may find just the style of decorative hinges your customer wants to go with that decorative hardware.