This page is an order-verification workflow. For schedule columns and marks, start with how to read a door schedule. For electrified hardware ownership, see storefront access-control responsibility.
Why handing errors happen
Commercial aluminum doors are fabricated to a hand. Swinging the leaf the other way in the field usually means a new door, not a hinge flip. Errors cluster where four documents disagree: the door schedule hand code, the plan swing arrow, the elevation hinge side, and the manufacturer hand diagram used by the fabricator.
Hand conventions are not identical across every manufacturer. Treat published charts as starting points. Confirm the convention printed on the approved shop drawings for that opening.
Common conventions (verify per manufacturer)
Many North American commercial catalogs describe hand from the outside (or the side the manufacturer labels as the exterior / key side). Typical shorthand:
- LH / RH: left-hand or right-hand, often for doors that open away from you when hinges are on the left or right
- LHR / RHR: left-hand reverse or right-hand reverse, often for doors that open toward you
- Pairs: active leaf hand plus inactive leaf and astragal orientation
TEMPLATE ONLY. Confirm every opening against the manufacturer hand diagram on the approved shop drawings.
| Check | Where to look | Fail signal |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule hand code | Door schedule column (LH, RH, LHR, RHR, or project abbreviation) | Blank hand, conflicting pair notes, or abbreviation not defined in the legend |
| Plan swing arrow | Floor plan at the opening | Arrow direction disagrees with schedule hand |
| Elevation hinge side | Door elevation / storefront elevation | Hinges drawn on the opposite jamb from the schedule |
| Manufacturer convention | Approved shop drawing + product hand diagram | Shop uses a different outside/key-side definition than the architect mark |
| Hardware set fit | Hardware schedule + stile width | Exit device, closer, or electric hinge prep assumes the opposite hand |
Order-verification workflow
- List every swinging door and pair on the opening schedule.
- For each mark, write the schedule hand, plan swing, and elevation hinge side on one line.
- Attach the manufacturer hand diagram that the fabricator will use.
- Circle mismatches. Issue an RFI or cloud the shop drawing before fabrication release.
- For pairs, confirm active leaf, inactive leaf, astragal, and coordinator / flush-bolt side.
- For electrified openings, confirm power transfer and reader side after hand is locked.
Do not release a door package on verbal hand clarifications alone. Put the agreed hand on the stamped shop drawing.
Pre-release checklist
- Every swinging opening has a defined hand on the schedule
- Plan swing and elevation hinge side match that hand under the named manufacturer convention
- Pairs: active leaf identified; inactive hardware noted
- Closer, exit device, and electric hinge preps match hand
- Threshold, panic side, and exterior/key-side labels consistent with the elevation
- Architect / owner confirmation recorded for any hand change after shop approval
How to ask for a verified door package
Send the door schedule, plans with swing arrows, elevations, and hardware sets. Circle any hand you want verified before release. State material-only or furnish-and-install. ACG works from West Palm Beach, Naples, and Tampa. Call (772) 486-7711. FL CGC #1531993.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you confirm commercial door handing before ordering?
Reconcile the door schedule hand code with the plan swing arrow, the elevation hinge side, and the manufacturer hand diagram on the approved shop drawings. Resolve mismatches with an RFI or clouded shop drawing before fabrication release.
Is LH / RH the same for every manufacturer?
No. Many catalogs use similar shorthand, but the outside/key-side reference can differ. Always attach the product-specific hand diagram for the approved system.
Can a wrong-hand aluminum storefront door be fixed in the field?
Usually not without a new door or major remake. Treat hand as a fabrication-release gate, not a punch-list adjustment.
What should a GC send to verify handing?
Door schedule, plans with swing arrows, elevations, hardware sets, and any prior RFI answers on hand. Circle openings that need confirmation.