Commercial Aluminum Man Door Replacement — Wakefield Building, Toronto

The Challenge

The Wakefield Building in Toronto had an aging wooden pedestrian door that had outlived its useful life. While it had served its purpose for years, the door no longer met the functional, security, or aesthetic standards that a commercial building demands. The hardware was worn and unreliable, the door’s insulation performance had degraded significantly — leading to heat transfer and comfort issues in the adjacent office space — and the visual appearance had become inconsistent with a well-maintained commercial property.

The replacement needed to do more than just fill the opening: it needed to deliver a meaningful upgrade in security hardware, thermal performance, and curb appeal — all within the existing opening dimensions.

The Solution

Wilcox Door Service replaced the existing wooden door with a commercial aluminum full-view glass entry door, finished with architectural cladding to provide a clean, modern appearance. Aluminum commercial doors are substantially lighter than their steel counterparts while offering comparable durability — an important consideration for a high-use pedestrian entrance. The full-view glass design introduced natural light into the entry space while maintaining a secure, professional appearance.

The upgrade included functional commercial-grade hardware — properly specified for the traffic frequency and access control requirements of a commercial building — and thermal break construction in the aluminum frame to reduce heat transfer. The cladding finish was selected to complement the building’s existing exterior and provide long-term weather resistance without repainting requirements.

Outcomes

The replacement door delivered measurable improvement across every category the customer cared about. Heat transfer through the entry was reduced, improving comfort in the adjacent office area. The new commercial-grade hardware provided reliable, secure access control. And the aluminum full-view design with architectural cladding gave the building entrance a professional, modern appearance consistent with a well-maintained commercial property. A functional upgrade that also made the building look better — exactly what a commercial entry replacement should accomplish.