My old foreman in Cleveland swore by using a 3/8 inch bead for storefront doors

He said anything less was asking for trouble with wind load. I ignored him on a job last fall and went with a 1/4 inch line to save on sealant. Sure enough, after a big storm, the client called about a major draft. Had to redo the whole 12-foot run. What's your go-to bead size for a standard commercial door?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesfox1mo ago

My uncle did storefront glass in Toledo for 30 years and always used a 1/4 inch bead. Never had a callback. I wonder if the real issue was the sealant type or the prep work, not just the size.

sarahm181mo ago

Honestly @jamesfox, I get where you're coming from, but a quarter inch bead is pretty small for a lot of jobs now. The building codes in most places have changed a lot in the last ten years. Tbh, the size matters because a bigger bead can handle more movement from heat and wind without failing. Your uncle probably did perfect prep work, which is key, but the minimum size is often half an inch now for a reason. Using an older, smaller standard today might just set someone up for leaks.

allen.ivan1mo ago

My own "save on sealant" moment cost me a whole weekend. That foreman knew his stuff.