A concealed pivot entry is the door that gets photographed, and it is also the door that requires the most honest conversation at spec time. The product is extraordinary when the site supports it; it's a warranty headache when the site doesn't. Here is how we decide.
When a pivot works
Two requirements: (1) an architectural overhang of 4 feet or more, and (2) a scale of entry — ceiling heights 9’+, opening 8’6″+ — that justifies the pivot’s presence. With both, a pivot is the most satisfying entry door an architect can specify. With neither, a hinged multipoint is the better product.
Engineering realities
Pivots rotate on a floor-mounted bearing and a top guide. The floor bearing requires a 6″ × 6″ recess and a substructure rated for 700–1,200 lbs concentrated load. The header carries the cantilever during opening. Pivot doors weigh 250–480 lbs at common residential sizes; sometimes more. Frame, floor, and overhead detailing all differ from a hinged door and have to be coordinated before concrete pour on new builds.
What we ship
- Heights 8′ to 12′.
- Widths 36″ to 60″.
- Solid-core steel with specialty glass lites, or full-lite IG glazing.
- Concealed electric-strike locking or multipoint concealed locking.
- Factory-finished in matte black, onyx, warm bronze, specialty grain walnut, or custom match.
Cost
$14,000–$22,000 installed for a 96″–108″ pivot in Metro Vancouver. Larger and taller scale up. BC-specific pivot guide.