Parker Custom Security replaced the entrance and vestibule doors and installed new hollow metal doors at 101 Highland Avenue in Yonkers, New York, for property management company Prime Locations. At the front of the building, an older pair of dark-framed glass doors was removed and replaced with clear anodized aluminum doors with a colonial grid pattern and full-height glass sidelites. A matching aluminum door was installed at the inner vestibule, so residents pass through two secure doors between the street and the lobby. Inside, Parker cut out an old door frame and installed a hollow metal steel door with a narrow vision lite, a panic bar exit device, a surface closer, and a stainless kick plate, plus a second hollow metal door with a vision lite on the brick hallway side. The work was done while the building's lobby was being renovated. Parker serves property managers across Westchester County, New York City, and Northern New Jersey.
The new aluminum entrance at 101 Highland Avenue in Yonkers, with a colonial grid door and full-height sidelites.
New Entrance, Vestibule, and Hollow Metal Doors at 101 Highland Avenue
An apartment building's doors age together. The front entrance gets heavy, the vestibule stops sealing, and interior doors take years of carts, deliveries, and slams. When Prime Locations planned a lobby renovation at 101 Highland Avenue in Yonkers, it made sense to replace the doors at the same time instead of patching them one by one after the new lobby was finished.
Prime Locations, the property management company responsible for the building, brought in Parker Custom Security to handle two kinds of openings: the aluminum and glass entrance and vestibule at the front of the building, and the hollow metal steel doors inside.
Project Details
The Challenge: An Aging Entrance in the Middle of a Lobby Renovation
The original entrance was a pair of dark-framed glass doors. They still opened and closed, but they looked dated and offered little control over who came in. Behind them, the lobby was being renovated, with the ceiling opened up and the walls taped off, while residents still had to get in and out every day.
Before: the original dark-framed glass double doors at the building entrance.
- Dated front entrance: the first thing residents and visitors see did not match the lobby being built behind it.
- One line of defense: the entrance needed a proper vestibule, with a second secure door between the street and the lobby.
- Worn interior openings: an interior exit door and its frame had to be removed down to the masonry and rebuilt.
- An occupied building: residents still needed a working entrance while the lobby was under construction.
Sound Familiar? Door Problems Westchester Property Managers Know
If you manage an apartment building in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, or anywhere in Westchester, you have probably heard at least one of these:
- "The front door doesn't close all the way." Heavy, worn entrance doors drift open and leave the building unsecured.
- "Anyone can walk right into the lobby." Without a vestibule, there is nothing between the street and the mailboxes.
- "The exit door is falling apart." Bent frames and broken hardware on stair and exit doors are a safety problem, not just a looks problem.
- "We're renovating the lobby. Can the doors wait?" Replacing doors after a renovation means damaging new finishes. Doing it during the renovation avoids that.
The Solution: Aluminum at the Entrance, Hollow Metal Inside
Parker matched each opening to the right type of door:
- Front entrance: a clear anodized aluminum door with a colonial grid of glass panes, a pull handle, and full-height glass sidelites on both sides, set between the building's fieldstone and brick.
- Inner vestibule door: a matching grid-pattern aluminum door with sidelites and a lever lockset with a key cylinder, creating a closed vestibule between the street and the lobby.
- Interior exit door: a hollow metal steel door with a narrow vision lite, a rim panic bar exit device, a surface-mounted closer, and a stainless steel kick plate, installed in a new frame.
- Hallway door: a hollow metal door with a vision lite and pull trim on the brick hallway side.
Removing the old vestibule framing while the lobby renovation was underway.
The old steel frame cut out of the interior opening, ready for a new frame.
Renovating a Lobby in Westchester?
Replace the entrance and interior doors while the work is already underway. Parker will walk the building with you and give you a free estimate.
Installing the Vestibule During an Occupied Renovation
The new vestibule went in while the lobby was taped off and the ceiling was open. In an occupied building, entrance work is sequenced so there is always a door that closes and locks, and setting the aluminum framing before the lobby's new finishes go up means nothing has to be torn out later.
The new inner vestibule door, installed while the lobby renovation continued around it.
Looking out through the new vestibule toward the street.
Rebuilding the Hollow Metal Exit Door
For the interior exit door, a new door on the old frame was not enough. Parker cut out the existing steel frame, prepared the masonry opening, and set a new frame before hanging the hollow metal door. The door was then fitted with a panic bar so it opens with a single push in the direction of exit, a closer so it shuts and latches on its own, and a kick plate to take the wear at the bottom of the door.
The opening prepared for its new frame.
The finished exit door: panic bar, closer, vision lite, and stainless kick plate.
Aluminum vs. Hollow Metal Doors: Design & Specifications
101 Highland Avenue uses both of the main commercial door families found in Westchester apartment buildings, each where it works best.
Aluminum entrance and vestibule doors
- Construction: extruded aluminum stiles and rails holding glass. A colonial grid divides the glass into smaller panes for a traditional look.
- Finish: clear anodized aluminum resists corrosion and keeps its appearance without painting.
- Sidelites: fixed glass panels beside the door bring light into the lobby and widen the opening without a wider door.
- Hardware: pulls or levers, locksets with key cylinders, and closers. Entrance doors are often tied into a building intercom or access control.
- Vestibule layout: an outer and inner door with a small enclosed space between them blocks drafts and adds a second line of security. See our Flushing, Queens vestibule project for another example.
Hollow metal doors
- Construction: steel face sheets over a reinforced core, hung in a steel frame. The standard choice for stairs, exits, and service areas.
- Vision lites: narrow glass panels let people see through the door before opening it.
- Panic hardware: a panic bar (exit device) opens the door with a push across the bar, which matters on exit routes where people may be moving quickly.
- Closers and kick plates: a closer makes the door shut and latch on its own; a kick plate protects the bottom of the door from carts and feet.
- Fire-rated openings: where a code requires a fire-rated door, the door, frame, glass, and hardware all have to be listed for that rating.
A new hollow metal door with a vision lite and pull trim on the brick hallway side.
The Finished Result
101 Highland Avenue now has an entrance that matches its renovated lobby: a bright aluminum and glass front door with sidelites, a second secure door at the vestibule, and solid hollow metal doors with proper exit hardware inside. Prime Locations has one contractor who knows every one of those openings when service is needed.
The new entrance door and sidelites, set between the building's fieldstone and brick.
A side view of the finished entrance.
- Dated dark-framed glass double doors at the entrance
- An old interior frame that had to be cut out
- Doors that did not match the lobby being renovated
- Clear aluminum colonial grid entrance door with sidelites
- Matching inner vestibule door with a locking lever
- New hollow metal exit door with panic bar, closer, and kick plate
Why Westchester Property Managers Choose Parker Custom Security
Property management companies like Prime Locations need a door contractor who can handle aluminum entrances, steel doors, and hardware in one visit. Parker brings the same approach used on projects like the aluminum and hollow metal doors at 325 West 52nd Street in Manhattan to buildings across Westchester.
- In business since 2003: more than two decades of commercial doors, entrances, and hardware.
- Aluminum, hollow metal, and hardware from one team: aluminum entrance doors, steel doors and frames, and panic bars, closers, and other commercial door hardware.
- Occupied-building experience: work is sequenced so residents can always get in and out.
- Licensed, bonded, and insured, serving Westchester County, all five boroughs of New York City, and Northern New Jersey.
Planning Door Work for a Westchester Building?
Whether it is a single worn entrance or the entrance, vestibule, and interior doors together, Parker Custom Security will walk the property and give you a clear scope and estimate at no charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who installs commercial doors in Yonkers and Westchester County?
Parker Custom Security installs aluminum entrance doors, vestibules, hollow metal doors, and commercial door hardware throughout Westchester County, including Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains. At 101 Highland Avenue in Yonkers, Parker replaced the entrance and vestibule doors and installed new hollow metal doors for Prime Locations. Parker has served buildings since 2003. Call (212) 491-5627 for a free estimate.
What is a vestibule, and does my apartment building need one?
A vestibule is a small enclosed space between an outer entrance door and an inner door. It blocks drafts, keeps heat in the lobby, and adds a second secure door between the street and the building. For an apartment building, a vestibule means a visitor who gets through the first door still cannot reach the lobby or mailboxes without being let in.
Can entrance doors be replaced during a lobby renovation?
Yes, and it is often the best time. Replacing the doors during a renovation avoids damaging new finishes later, and the door framing can be set before the walls and ceiling are closed up. At 101 Highland Avenue in Yonkers, Parker installed the new vestibule while the lobby renovation was underway.
What is a panic bar, and which doors need one?
A panic bar, also called an exit device or crash bar, is a horizontal bar across a door that unlatches it when pushed. It lets people leave quickly without turning a knob or lever. Building and fire codes generally require panic hardware on exit doors in assembly spaces, schools, and other occupancies above certain occupant loads, and many property managers add it to stair and exit doors in apartment buildings.
Do you replace the door frame or just the door?
It depends on the frame. If an existing steel frame is straight, solid, and the right size, a new door can often be hung in it. If the frame is bent, rusted, or out of square, it should be cut out and replaced, or the new door will never close and latch properly. At 101 Highland Avenue, Parker removed the old interior frame and set a new one before hanging the hollow metal door.
How much does it cost to replace an apartment building entrance in Westchester?
Cost depends on the size of the opening, aluminum or steel construction, the glass and sidelites, the finish, whether a vestibule door is added, the hardware, and any intercom or access control connections. A full entrance with sidelites and a vestibule costs more than a single steel door. Parker Custom Security prices each job after a free on-site assessment.
Does Parker Custom Security work outside New York City?
Yes. Parker serves Westchester County, including Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, and Eastchester, as well as all five boroughs of New York City and Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey.
