Home and building owners often use access doors and panels interchangeably as they have the same purpose—safeguarding facility areas and providing convenient access points. However, most users have yet to learn the difference between those two pieces of establishment equipment.
Both access doors and panels possess distinct features that make them uniquely different. In this blog article, you'll discover their distinctive characteristics that help quickly distinguish whether a particular product model is an access door or an access panel.
HERE ARE FIVE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PROPERTY COMPONENTS THAT ARE WORTH NOTING:
- Size: Access doors are typically larger than access panels, presenting a non-removable hinged door that swings open to 110-120 degrees, allowing people to pass through them. Meanwhile, access panels are usually smaller and have no hinge doors, as their purpose revolves around providing access to smaller spaces.
- Location: Access doors are frequently located in walls, floors, or ceilings, while access panels are often placed in walls or ceilings.
- Usage: Contractors or other construction professionals mostly use access doors in high-traffic areas, such as commercial buildings or public spaces, where people must move in and out quickly. Access panels, on the other hand, are suited to low traffic areas like closets and laundry rooms.
- Security: Access doors are designed with a variety of locking options for added security and to discourage tampering and unauthorized access. Access panels, are typically designed for ease of access to regularly used mechanical features. Envisivent access panels can feature locking options through custom design requirements.
- Materials: When it comes to materials, access doors are often made from heavier materials, usually metal, whereas access panels primarily consist of lightweight plastic of gypsum board.
FIVE GENERAL ACCESS DOOR TYPES:
- Metal access doors with a keyed lock are commonly used in commercial buildings to provide access to electrical or plumbing systems.
- Fire-rated access doors provide access to fire-rated walls or ceilings.
- Access doors with sound insulation are often in recording studios or soundproof rooms.
- Drywall access doors blend in with the surrounding wall, which many utilize in homes to provide access to HVAC systems or electrical panels.
- Concealed hinged access doors are aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly, and secure building components for wall and ceiling installation. It's easy to install and can provide access while maintaining the style and appearance of your building.
FIVE COMMON KINDS OF ACCESS PANELS:
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Envisivent access panels are created with a magnetic front piece that easily removes from the frame to expose mechanical fixtures behind any drywall interior wall or ceiling. Envisivent access panels are flush with the wall, creating a stunning finish that can be painted to match the wall or ceiling without impeding the design of the room. They are designed in eco-friendly, non-hazardous material, with a galvanized steel frame and material triple-fibre reinforced cement board for the removable panel.
Shop our access panels here. - Made with removable high-impact ABS plastic access panels with UV stabilizers, plastic access panels are used to access plumbing, electrical components, computer cables, and sprinkler systems. Moreover, it features a reversible frame allowing flush or surface mounting.
- Gypsum board access panels with a cam lock are commonly used in commercial buildings to provide access to HVAC systems or electrical panels.
- Floor access panels with a flush finish are often used in commercial buildings to provide access to underfloor utilities.
- Acoustic access panels with a perforated surface are generally used in auditoriums or concert halls to provide access to sound equipment while minimizing sound transmission.
THE BENEFITS OF INSTALLING THE ENVISIVENT ACCESS PANEL
Envisivent magnetic access panels can be installed during the drywall stage or post-construction, making this product extremely versatile as to when it can be installed. Our panels are exactly what you need to replace plastic, bulky panels that take away from the design of any space. The Envsivient magnetic access panel has a galvanized steel frame and is made from a moisture, mold and water-resistant material that is primed and ready to paint to your desired colour. Creating the perfect fit for any residential or commercial property, simply tape, mud, sand and paint. Our access panels are available in 3 convenient sizes: 8" x 8”, 10” x 10” or 12" x 12".
Shop our access panels here.