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ARCHITECTURAL HINGES

CONTINUOUS HINGES

Reliably hang the door to enhance the durability of the entire opening with Ives continuous hinges. View our back to basics 101 information on continuous hinges below or connect with an Allegion team member for help.


Overview

Understanding the basics of continuous hinges is essential for reliably hanging doors in heavy-duty or high-abuse applications. Knowing when and where to use these hinges by code, and selecting the appropriate ones, can significantly enhance the durability of the entire opening. For more information on the fundamentals of hanging doors, watch our comprehensive Allegion 101 "Hang the Door" video or our quick guide on continuous hinges.

Continuous hinges are designed to extend the entire height of the door, offering superior support and longevity compared to traditional mortise or butt hinges. By spanning the full length of the door, continuous hinges evenly distribute the door's weight along the entire frame, significantly reducing stress on any single point. This design not only accommodates heavier doors but also ensures a more durable and long-lasting hinge solution.

Geared Continuous Hinges: Geared continuous hinges are designed to last the life of a building by distributing the weight of a door along the entire length of its frame. The geared continuous hinge has no pin. Instead, these hinges utilize a single gear section for the leaf and a separate gear section for the frame side of the door. The two are held in place by a full-length cover channel and rotate on a series of bearings. Available in finishes such as clear aluminum and dark bronze, these anodized aluminum hinges are suitable for both interior and exterior doors and frames. Capable of supporting doors weighing hundreds of pounds as well as standard door weights, aluminum geared hinges are a versatile choice. Additionally, many models are designed to meet fire-rated opening requirements. Ives HD models feature a spread bearing design for lighter weight doors. The XY models feature lateral and vertical adjustment after the hinge is secured to door and frame, a center loaded bearing design to help reduce frame issues and has electric through-wire panel option with a continuous cover.

 

Pin and Barrel Continuous Hinges: Pin and barrel continuous hinges, often made of steel or stainless steel, feature a long barrel and pin running the full height of the hinge, earning them the nickname "piano hinges." These hinges share many characteristics with traditional hinges, such as a center pin and rolled knuckles, but extend along the entire frame. They can include a hinge leaf that wraps around the door edge, acting as an edge protector. Reliable and straightforward, they are suitable for various applications but may require more maintenance and are slightly less robust for extremely heavy doors. Ives offers both stainless steel and primed steel options, as well as the CS series, which combines the clean aesthetic of aluminum geared continuous hinges with the ruggedness and safety of stainless steel pin and barrel hinges.

Continuous hinges come in various mounting options to suit different door and frame configurations:

Full Mortise: Despite the name, full mortise continuous hinges do not require the door to be mortised. The hinge leaves are installed flush with the door and frame surfaces.

Full Surface: These hinges are mounted on the face of both the door and the frame, making them a good replacement for worn-out hinges.

Half Mortise: One leaf is mortised into the door, while the other is surface-mounted on the frame.

Half Surface: One leaf is surface-mounted on the door, and the other is mortised into the frame.

When installing continuous hinges, they are first attached to the door and then to the frame. The hinge size should be ordered as the nominal height of the door minus 1 inch to account for the door's undercut and clearance at the top. For example, an 84-inch tall door would require an 83-inch hinge.

Continuous hinges distribute the weight of the door evenly along the entire length of the hinge, reducing stress on the door and frame. This even distribution helps prevent door sagging and ensures smooth, long-lasting operation, especially in heavy-duty or high-abuse environments.

Heavy traffic or high abuse application

  • Distributes the weight the length of the frame
  • Reduces the high amount of stress at the top of door and frame

Doors where security and safety is key

  • Hard to cut door off hinges
  • Eliminates the gap between the door and the frame, which prevents fingers from being pinched

Less maintenance, saves time and money 

  • Keeps the door in constant alignment
  • Reduces the chance of door sag

Continuous hinges are commonly used in:

High-Traffic Areas: Schools, hospitals, and public buildings

Heavy-Duty Doors: Industrial facilities and warehouses

Abuse-Prone Locations: Prisons and detention centers

Commercial Buildings: Offices, retail stores, and hotels

When selecting continuous hinges, consider the following codes and standards:

ANSI/BHMA A156.26: Covers continuous hinges

ADA Compliance: Ensures accessibility for all users

Fire-Rated Door Standards: For doors requiring fire resistance

Length of Continuous Hinges: Within one inch of door height

Local Building Codes: Specific to your region or application

To select the right continuous hinge:

Assess Door Weight & Usage: Determine the door's weight and frequency of use

Consider Environmental Conditions: Choose materials that resist corrosion if exposed to harsh environments

Evaluate Installation Requirements: Decide between full surface, half surface, half mortise, or full mortise hinges.

Check Compliance: Ensure the hinge meets relevant codes and standards for your application.

View our Ives Catalog general information pages for geared and pin and barrel hinges for details or contact our technical support team.

Continuous hinges generally require minimal maintenance:

Regular Inspection: Check for signs of wear or damage

Lubrication: Apply lubricant periodically to ensure smooth operation

Tightening Screws: Ensure all screws are secure to maintain proper alignment

Stainless Steel: Offer excellent durability and corrosion resistance

Aluminum: Provide a good balance of strength and weight, suitable for many applications

Several common symptoms can arise when a hinge is used or installed improperly.  

- Door sag

- Sagging hinge bearings

- Noisy hinges while cycling

- Excessive black dust along length of hinge and around it (aluminum gears grinding against one another)

- When there is an EPT cutout in a 224HD or 224XY for example, the uneven torque of an improperly installed hinge can bow the thin strip of aluminum out as well

The most common cause of these types of issues is when fasteners are NOT driven in straight and tightened evenly along the length of the hinge.  When fasteners are driven in crooked and/or tightened unevenly and overtightened, the uneven force applied to the length of an aluminum hinge can torque the material causing the symptoms.

 

 Other possible contributing conditions to be aware of:

- Incorrect hinge for door application – weight, width, height, etc.

- Incorrect, missing, broken reinforcing (when required)

- Substituted fasteners

 

Solutions to these problems are difficult because the fasteners are already in place.  Some things to consider:

- Loosen and evenly tighten screws along length of hinge leaves

- Use rivet nuts

- Make sure the hinge is the correct model for the opening

- Confirm opening condition (reinforcing, size, etc.)

- Perhaps consider a different hinge or pivot View our templates and install instructions or contact our technical support team for guidance.

View the installation guide here

To remove dirt, simply wipe with a soft damp cloth. Abrasive cleaners or lacquer thinner should not be used to clean the surface of the hinges. To do so will void any warranty for the product. Stainless Steel hinges that are not clear coated may be cleaned using a scotch bright pad to remove dirt. 

View the sanitization guide here

View the Ives Pricebook for detailed how to order information and the latest pricing.

Electrical cutouts Ives aluminum continuous hinges are available with factory modified cutouts to accommodate most electrical frame to door requirements. Special templates are required. When ordering indicate the following: 

  1. Door size. 
  2. Handing. LH, RH, LHR or RHR. 
  3. Manufacturer and model number of the electrical product being used. Example: Von Duprin EPT2. 
  4. Because clearances may vary between door and frame manufacturer, and locations can be influenced by the door hardware it is always recommend contacting Ives Customer Technical for specific template information. 

In accordance with industry standards, all cutouts are made from top edge of door to center line of cut-out. If top of door to top of cut-out is provided, 45⁄8" are added to the dimension provided to determine the centerline of the cut-out. This provides an extra 1⁄8" of tolerance to ensure the EPT will fit during installation when varying installation methods are used. View the catalog for a chart on standard cut out locations. 

Refer to the Allegion BAA  catalog (Buy American Act) to view the latest compliant continuous hinges.

Ives Continuous hinges are a Lifetime Warranty (except electrified which is 1 year) View the warranty info for the latest terms and conditions.

View our resources page for comprehensive list of training, educational resources, and support. 

XY Series: Designed for light to medium-duty applications.

HD Series: Heavy-duty hinges suitable for high-traffic and abuse-prone environments.

700 Series: Features geared hinges for smooth operation and increased durability.

CS Series: Continuous hinges designed for specific commercial applications, offering a balance of strength and aesthetics.

View our product pages and Ives catalog for the models in each series.

ALL IN ONE. ALLEGION.

As part of Allegion’s family of pioneering brands, IVES benefits from the strength,
efficiencies, resources, and integration from a global power. In turn, we pass those
advantages on to you.

Allegion helps keep people safe and secure where they live, work and visit. With more
than 30 brands sold worldwide, we specialize in security around the doorway and
beyond. It’s the power of one.
 

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