If there’s one design that’s taken the home aesthetic world by storm, it’s large pivot doors — especially for the front door and entry areas of your home. These doors are powerful, imposing, and can be completely custom-made. As such, they’re a memorable focal point for your home and serve as a conversation starter for your guests and family members alike.
Mastering the art of design around large pivot front doors requires you to understand exactly what they are, how they elevate your space, and what you’d want to see in your custom design structure. We’re here to help streamline your process, giving you the information you need to bring your vision to life.
Read on to learn more about pivot front doors, courtesy of the design specialists at Clark Hall Doors and Windows.
What are Large Pivot Front Doors?
Large pivot front doors take up the majority of your entryway and door frame. They sit vertically on a spindle or pivot box and use pivot hinges to function as opposed to the traditional side hinges. While they can be completely customized to your front entry door area, the sizes of large pivot front doors range from 80-116+ inches tall and 30-72+ inches wide. Their large panels are light enough to swing, but are often dense in construction, weighing in at a range of different rates depending on the material that’s used.
Your design specialist can work with you to accommodate a vision that suits your personal preferences and the specific requirements and restrictions of your doors’ jambs.
Functional Benefits of Large Pivot Front Doors
While pivot entrance doors offer unique features and capture the eye at first glance, there are plenty of other, more functional benefits that homeowners can gain from making the swap — such as:
Improved Accessibility
One of the main advantages of having a large pivot door over your more standard entry doors is the increase in accessibility that you gain. While their size may make them seem imposing and impossible to move, they’re actually a great choice for individuals who want a light-touch door. This outstanding performance is due to the unique construction of pivot doors, which intentionally offset the weight into the construction rather than the individual’s effort.
Increased Natural Light
Embracing the naturally lit areas of your home and amplifying their effect is a simple way to secure an elevated, premium look on every floor. Most premium pivot options can be customized to maximize this, serving as a strategic point of entry for day-to-night lighting shifts.
Enhanced Interior and Exterior Flow
These doors are unique opening architectures in their own right, acting more as a grand entrance rather than a regular door. As such, they help capture the natural elegance that open floor plans and statement pieces provide — lending itself to a more luxurious, unique aesthetic than your average open-and-shut side-swinging door.
Aesthetic Benefits of Large Pivot Front Doors
We’ve already touched on the simple elegance that pivot entry doors provide within a space. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the custom touch it gives homes that embrace a more modern look.
Modern, in a design sense, can mean many different things to different people. However, some might find that modern designs are united by a common downside: the look of sterility. Rather than offer the same bleak, overly-clean or traditional design aesthetics that traditional doors are so often associated with in these design schemes, your pivot door offers a fun, dramatic flair that can be harnessed and customized to suit every taste and preference.
This effect is amplified when you work with specialists who can truly customize and perfect your door’s design — from the top to the bottom of the door. Custom sizes, custom designs, and user-forward enhancements (such as door treatments for weather resistance) offer both aesthetic and functional appeal, making pivot doors the preferred option for many homeowners.
Materials Commonly Used
Pivot doors can be made from many different materials while maintaining the same superior quality and durability standards you expect for your home. Exterior doors using pivot hardware can be made from solid wood, glass, steel, iron, and other composite combinations of materials.
Different door materials typically offer different benefits. Iron doors, for example, can elevate and fit seamlessly into a futuristic-minimalist space. They’re also known for their strength and durability. Glass panels are another popular choice, offering a “boundless view” appeal to homeowners who prefer a light and airy home aesthetic. Your design specialist can help you select the right material for your needs.
Design Ideas
Now that you know the benefits that modern pivot doors can offer your space, it’s time to get inspired. Our experts have rounded up some of the best large pivot front door designs out there, ranging across all door sizes and material types.
Minimalistic Designs
Many customers have likely seen the monumental shift in trend toward minimalistic design elements in the home. While there are plenty of ways to execute, hallmarks to include in your design scheme include plenty of natural light and open spaces, sustainable, elevated material choices, and pieces that offer functionality and sustainability benefits — all while being stylish and true to your design preferences.
Excess, loud luxury, and clutter all go against this type of design aesthetic, which means that you might consider custom interior doors made of materials like glass or natural woods.
Integration with Surrounding Architecture
Seamless, sewn-in appearances give your pivot door an effortless, “feather-light” look in your space — while still allowing it to remain a key focal point. If your jamb size and style allows for this look, we recommend upgrading from older front doors to a clean, built-in design that offers an air of simple luxury and sophistication to your space.
Installation Process
Ready to make your upgrade? Here’s a look at the installation process involved, so you know exactly what to expect on your door’s delivery date (or beforehand!)
1. Quote Preparation
Once you determine you’d like to consider installing a pivot door, our experts will meet with you to discuss the rough dimensions and measurements of your space. These questions allow our team to give you the most complete and accurate quote possible.
2. Unit and Door Preparation
Preparation is critical if you want a smooth installation experience. On delivery and installation day, our experts will take time to evaluate the pivot system kit and door elements, making sure that everything is up to spec. Once they do, it’ll be time to take all of the necessary preparatory actions to make sure your door is ready for installation.
Tasks associated with this step include:
- Installing any accouterments prior to the actual door’s installation (such as a skid plate)
- Removing any old hardware or elements of prior doors occupying the space
- Leveling the surfaces where your doors will attach to, ensuring an easy installation
- Finalizing the client’s contract and deposit
3. CAD Planning and Strategy
After measurements have been finalized, our experts will order a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing based on the measurements taken at the home, as well as your inspiration images. After this images is viewed and approved, we’ll start the process of making your custom pivot door. Typically, this process takes 14-16 weeks.
4. Installation
After the prep work is done, installation can begin. Typically, multiple people will need to be present to ensure that your pivot door is installed properly and safely — simply due to the average pivot door’s weight and size. Once the pivot door is standing vertically, the team will work together to mount it in the open jamb area. Most times, your installation team will start by setting the pivot spindle into the floor plate.
5. Spindle Installation and Adjustment
After the spindle is securely anchored to the bottom of the door via the floor plate, the top pivot can be installed. This step requires multiple hands, as the door must remain upright during this process.
6. Finalization and Quality Assurance
Once all of the prior installation steps are complete, your experts will take a step back and give your pivot door multiple opportunities to open and close. This step helps to ensure that the gaps between the frame and the door itself are equidistant and are not too close, preventing any fit issues down the line.
Pivot doors can be difficult to install — but they don’t have to be. Choosing an experienced hand to remain at the helm of this home improvement step is key to simplifying your process.
Our experts understand this firsthand after shared decades of experience in the business — and are proud to offer white-glove installation and service as a result. Superior performance is our common standard, and we believe you deserve the best outcome possible; whether you opt for a pivot door or choose to stick with more traditional durable wood entry doors.
Why Clark Hall Doors and Windows?
If you’re considering upgrading your front door with a large pivot front door, the possibilities are endless. The team at Clark Hall Windows and Doors will be with you every step of the way. It’s our pleasure to bring your vision to life — and we do so using white-glove service and customized design options you’ll love. For more information and to get started today, please connect with us online. We look forward to designing for you!
FAQs
How big can a pivot door be?
Pivot doors are customized to fit the living space of the homeowner. On average, however, they come in a range of sizes between 80-116+ inches tall and 30-72+ inches wide. If you have a specific size you’re looking for, or wish to ask if a pivot door would work in your space, we encourage you to reach out to the specialty design experts at Clark Hall Doors & Windows. It’s our pleasure to serve you.
What is the maximum height for a pivot door?
There is no universal maximum door height for a pivot door, so long as two conditions are met: It safely suits the space, and the infrastructure where it will be installed is strong enough to support the size of door you’re looking for. If the logistical and mechanical elements are confirmed to be safe and functional, there isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t have a custom-sized door for your space.
What makes pivot doors more expensive than a standard door?
Pivot doors can be more expensive than regular doors due to their complexity of movement via the pivot function, which requires special pivot hardware for use. This means a rise in production costs associated with pivot doors compared to regular doors. The installation process is also more involved; driving up the cost further.
