One hinge the full height of the door against three or four points. Why the continuous hinge does not sag, why it protects fingers on the hinge side, and when standard hardware is fine.
A continuous hinge runs the full height of the door and carries it along the whole edge; butt hinges and pivots carry it at three or four points. On a busy storefront door the continuous hinge wins on everything except price and looks: it does not sag, it does not loosen, it survives wind and abuse, and it closes the gap on the hinge side so nobody’s fingers can be caught there. That last point is why it is the specification on schools, daycare, clinics and anywhere children use the door. For a light-traffic entrance where the existing pivots are sound, standard hinges are fine and cheaper.
| Feature | Continuous (piano / geared) hinge | Butt hinges or offset pivots |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One hinge the full height of the door, geared or pin type | Three or four hinges, or a top and bottom pivot |
| Load distribution | Along the whole edge; no sag | Concentrated at the hinge points; heavy doors can sag |
| Finger protection | Closes the hinge-side gap; fingers cannot be pinched on that side | Hinge-side gap opens as the door swings; a pinch point |
| Alignment over time | Stays true | Screws loosen, door drops, latch misses |
| Wind and abuse | Best | Fair; pivots better than butts |
| Retrofit to an existing door | Yes, usually without a new frame | Replace like for like |
| Look | A continuous line the door height | Discrete hardware |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Where it suits | Schools, clinics, high-traffic retail, any door a child uses | Light-traffic entrances; matching existing |
A storefront door is heavy — an aluminum leaf with a full-height glass unit weighs well over 100 pounds — and it swings hundreds of times a day. Three butt hinges put all of that on six screws in the frame; an offset pivot puts it on the bottom pivot and the floor. Over years the screws work loose or the pivot wears, the door drops at the latch side, and the deadlatch misses the strike. This is the single most common storefront repair call. A continuous geared hinge shares the load along the whole edge and holds the door true for decades.
On a door with butt hinges or pivots, the gap between the door edge and the frame on the hinge side opens as the door swings, and a hand in that gap when the door closes is crushed. A continuous hinge fills that gap with the hinge itself, so there is no opening for fingers on the hinge side. It does not protect the latch side, where a slow-closing closer and a finger guard do the work. Where a code or an owner asks for finger protection — schools, nurseries, medical — the continuous hinge on the hinge side plus a closer set to a slow final swing is the standard answer.
A continuous hinge can usually be fitted to an existing storefront door and frame without replacing either: the old hinges or pivot come off, the continuous hinge screws to the door edge and the jamb, and the door hangs true again. It is the repair we recommend on a sagging door whose frame is otherwise sound, and a better use of money than re-drilling for new pivots. See storefront doors for the door systems and storefront door vs terrace door for the residential question.
A continuous hinge the full height of the door, geared or pin type, that carries the door along its whole edge instead of at three or four points.
On the hinge side, yes: the hinge fills the gap that opens as the door swings. The latch side needs a slow-closing closer or a finger guard.
Usually, without replacing the door or frame. It is the standard fix for a sagging door with a sound frame.
Butt hinges or pivots. A continuous hinge costs more and outlasts them on a busy door.
Both; we recommend continuous hinges on high-traffic and child-use doors and match existing hardware on light-traffic entrances.
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About this page. Written by Alex GC Inc. d/b/a Alex Glass Construction and reviewed before publication by Aleksandr Chernovolenko, Managing Partner, with our design and estimating lead and a field foreman. Our foremen hold the NYC DOB Site Safety Training supervisor card and our crews the 40-hour worker card; we are certified to fabricate, install and service Alutech and Everest aluminum systems. Facts are drawn from our own projects, manufacturer test data and the applicable codes; where we are giving an opinion, we say so. Last reviewed September 2026. Credentials
Send a photo of the door and the hinge side. We will say whether a continuous hinge fixes it and quote the retrofit.
