A kick plate is most commonly used in restaurants and hospitals. They are mainly seen in other commercial buildings as well, but very few people actually decide to get them installed in their homes. However, stainless steel kick plates have a number of benefits that others do not provide. When it comes to installing these plates on a door, they can seriously add a few more years to the useful life of the door itself. In order to better understand the stainless steel kick plates, here is a brief guide about what they are, and how they are used.
What Are Stainless Steel Kick Plates?
As the name clearly suggests, these are thin plates made out of stainless steel, which are nailed to the bottom portion of a door. Usually, most men and women tend to open doors by kicking at the bottom. It is a common, subconscious behavior that is exhibited by a lot of people; mainly because of the convenience that it provides. While at home, most people do not open doors as frequently as they do in a commercial setting. Over the passage of time, constant kicking at the bottom of the door could eventually knock chunks of wood out of the door, hence requiring a replacement. For that purpose, stainless steel kick plates are used.
What Are The Benefits Of Kick Plates?
Because they are thin and strong, these plates provide protection to the door every time that it is kicked. This does not mean that the kick plates will make the door last an indefinite period of time; the kick plates usually require replacement after a few years. However, stainless steel is not very heavy, and is quite sturdy as well. Hence, it can easily be installed on any door. In commercial environments such as hospitals and restaurants, the doors are used almost every minute of the day. That is why kick plates are installed, since a small investment goes a long way in prolonging the life of the door itself.
Furthermore, these kick plates also provide protection to the bottom part of the door in case somebody hits it with wet feet or shoes. Usually, wooden doors tend to get severely damaged when they come in to contact with water (especially if the water is not dried off immediately). As water gets absorbed in the wood, the wood begins to swell from underneath. That is why most public washrooms also have stainless steel kick plates installed at the bottom; they help to ensure that the longevity of the door is not affected by the water since the plates provide protection against this.
