Shop and retail guide · Ireland and Northern Ireland

Automatic sliding doors for shops and retail units in Ireland

A shop door opens all day, shows off the shop and has to stay safe for every customer. This guide covers how to choose one: the type of door, how wide the entrance can be, safety and escape routes, the glass and frame, the controls and the servicing. For the whole range, see our automatic doors for Irish commercial buildings.

Book a shopfront survey Call +353 86 382 7196

By NS Motion Designed, installed and maintained across Ireland and Northern Ireland

Clear opening800 to 3000 mm on a two-leaf standard door

DriveOnly 10 cm high above the glass

In sleep modeUses less than 0.5 W

Escape routesRedundant function available

01 · The short answer

Which type of sliding door suits a shopfront?

A standard door is the usual starting point, and the other types each solve one problem. The Doorson 300 line we install comes as standard, telescopic, frameless, prismatic, break-out and curved doors, all with the same slim 10 cm drive. The entrance, the wall beside it and the look you want decide which one.

For the systems themselves, see our Doorson 300 standard and telescopic sliding doors.

Standard

The universal choice for a shop entrance.

One leaf or two
Up to 3000 mm clear opening on two leaves
Slim 10 cm drive

Best for: most shopfronts.

Telescopic

For a wide opening where the wall beside the door is short.

Leaves stack behind one another
900 to 3000 mm one-sided
1600 to 3000 mm two-sided

Best for: wide entrances in tight units.

Frameless, prismatic or curved

For a glass frontage that is part of the brand.

Frameless: a frame that is almost invisible
Prismatic: for a corner entrance
Curved: for a rounded front

Best for: premium glazed fronts.

02 · Sizes

How wide can the entrance be?

A standard door opens up to 3000 mm clear on two leaves, and a telescopic door reaches the same width from less wall. The manufacturer publishes a clear opening range for each type in the Doorson 300 line:

Door type	Clear opening width	Largest clear height	Suits
Standard (300)	One leaf 800 to 2000 mm Two leaves 800 to 3000 mm	3000 mm	Most shop entrances
Telescopic (300 T)	One-sided 900 to 3000 mm Two-sided 1600 to 3000 mm	3000 mm	Wide openings with little wall beside the door
Frameless (300 thales)	One leaf 800 to 2000 mm Two leaves 800 to 3000 mm	3000 mm	Glass frontages where the frame should almost disappear
Prismatic (300 P)	Two leaves 800 to 3000 mm	3000 mm	Corner entrances
Break-out (300 A)	One leaf 800 to 1200 mm Two leaves 800 to 2200 mm	3000 mm	Doors on an escape route, subject to the building's fire strategy
Curved (300 C)	Set by the radius of the curve	2500 mm	Rounded shopfronts

Clear opening width is the gap people walk through when the leaves are open. Figures from the 300 product line brochure (PDF). Your survey confirms what fits your opening, because the leaves need room to travel beside it.

03 · Customers

What keeps customers safe at the door?

A sensor built into the door, a standard written for this kind of door and a glass line people can see do most of the work. A shop door is used by everyone, from a wheelchair user to a parent with a buggy to a delivery driver, so safety is part of the choice, not an extra.

Built-in sensor

The 300 line has a sensor built in for pedestrian safety, so the door can tell when someone is in its path.

Why: the opening is where people meet the leaves.

EN 16005

EN 16005 is the European standard for safety in use of power operated pedestrian doorsets. We service to it, and the 300 line can be supplied to meet it on escape routes.

See: escape routes, below.

Visible glass

A marked band across the glass helps people see a glass door, as on the doors pictured further down this page.

Ask: for the band to be part of the glass design.

Thinking about access for everyone?

A hands-free opening helps customers with mobility needs, prams and deliveries alike. Our guide to how automatic doors improve accessibility and security covers the wider picture, and how to specify automatic doors in Ireland covers the process from brief to handover.

04 · Emergencies

What happens in an emergency or a power cut?

Plan the escape route before you choose the door. If a shop door is also a way out, the type of door and the way it behaves when things go wrong matter as much as how it looks.

Everyday use

The door opens on a sensor, switch or access control and closes again once the opening is clear.

Redundant function

The 300 line is available with a redundant function, which allows it to be installed on emergency exits and escape routes, according to EN 16005 and EN 16361.

Break-out leaves

The break-out version of the line is made for doors on an escape route, in one-leaf and two-leaf sizes.

Fire line

If the door sits on a fire compartment line, a fire-rated sliding door may be needed. See our fire and sliding door systems.

Power cut

How the door behaves when the power fails depends on the model and the locking, so ask for it to be confirmed in writing before you order.

One plan

Escape doors are life-safety equipment. The door, the hardware and the building's fire strategy have to agree before anything is fitted.

05 · Look and finish

What should the glass and frame look like?

The door can be set up around the shop's look, rather than the other way round. The manufacturer's brochure lists the choices that change how a sliding door looks from the street.

Frame colour

Natural anodised aluminium, or a RAL colour for the drive and profile.

Leaf system

Frameless, float, thermo or panel leaves, depending on the look and the building.

Glass colour

Different glass colour options, so the glazing suits the frontage.

Panels

Anodised aluminium panels where a solid section suits the design better than glass.

Slim drive

The drive is only 10 cm high, so it takes little of the head height above the door.

Quiet operation

Smooth, quiet movement, which suits a shop floor and a reception area alike.

Four-panel automatic sliding door in dark frames seen from inside, with a dotted band across the glass and an accessible parking bay outside — **A Doorson 300 sliding door:** four panels in dark frames, with a marked band across the glass.

Three-panel dark grey automatic sliding door at a store entrance, with a dotted band across the glass and an Automatic Door sign on the right-hand panel — **A sliding door at a store entrance:** three panels in dark grey with an Automatic Door sign on the glass.

06 · Controls

How will the door open and lock?

Decide how the door is triggered, then how it is locked, then how it is watched. The Doorson 300 can be operated by sensors, switches, a smartphone app or access control, and it is built to be monitored.

Opening

Choose what triggers the door.

Motion sensor
Push button or switch
Smartphone app
Access control

Ask: which suits your customers and staff.

Locking

Choose how the door is secured after hours.

Locking and access control integration
Time-controlled access for staff-only doors
A reader for cards, fobs or keypads

Ask: who holds keys, cards or codes.

Monitoring

Choose how faults are found.

Warnings and error descriptions
Doors connected to the cloud
Some problems solved remotely

Ask: what comes with your model.

07 · After installation

Who services the door once it is fitted?

A shop door that stops working keeps customers out or stops you locking up, so plan the servicing when you plan the door. The same team that designs and installs the door can repair and service it.

Repairs and call-outs

For a door that is stuck, slow or has stopped working.

See: automatic door maintenance and repairs.

Planned servicing

Scheduled visits across one shop or a group of them.

See: maintenance contracts.

Between visits

Simple checks that staff can do themselves.

See: automatic door maintenance checklist.

How often should it be serviced?

High-traffic doors should be serviced every three months and most commercial automatic doors every six, in line with EN 16005. Shop entrances are usually high-traffic, so agree the interval when the door is installed. In Northern Ireland, our Belfast and NI team supplies, installs, services and repairs automatic doors too.

08 · Before you ask for a quote

What to have ready for a shopfront quote

A few measurements and photos let us say which door suits before anyone visits. Send what you have and we will ask for the rest.

The opening

Width and height in millimetres, and whether it is a new opening or an existing one.

Space beside the door

How much wall or glazing sits either side. It decides whether a standard or a telescopic door fits.

Photos

The shopfront from outside, the entrance from inside and the fascia or ceiling above the door.

How it will be used

Opening hours, deliveries, and whether staff-only doors need a card, fob or keypad.

Escape routes

Whether this door is a way out of the building, or sits on a fire line.

The finish

Frame colour, glass and any panels, or a photo of a look you like.

Email photos and measurements to sales@nsmotion.ie or call +353 86 382 7196.

09 · Questions

Questions shop owners ask

Which automatic sliding door is best for a shop entrance?

For most shopfronts a standard sliding door is the starting point: one or two leaves, a slim 10 cm drive and a clear opening of up to 3000 mm on two leaves. A telescopic door suits a wide opening with little wall beside it, and a frameless or curved door suits a premium glazed front. A survey confirms which fits your opening.

How wide can an automatic sliding door be?

Manufacturer ranges for our Doorson 300 line: a standard door has a clear opening of 800 to 2000 mm on one leaf and 800 to 3000 mm on two leaves, up to 3000 mm high. A telescopic door opens 900 to 3000 mm one-sided or 1600 to 3000 mm two-sided. Your survey confirms what fits your opening.

Can a sliding door be used on an escape route?

Yes, with the right version. The Doorson 300 line is available with a redundant function that allows it to be installed on emergency exits and escape routes, according to EN 16005 and EN 16361, and there is a break-out version. The door, the hardware and the building's fire strategy must be agreed before anything is fitted.

How much energy does an automatic sliding door use?

In sleep mode the Doorson 300 line uses less than 0.5 W, according to the manufacturer, and the drive is only 10 cm high. Your running cost also depends on how often the door opens and how the building is heated.

How much do sliding doors cost for a shop?

It depends on the opening width, the number of leaves, the type of door, the glass and finish, any locking or access control, and the condition of the opening. We price from a survey, or from photos and measurements, so the quote matches your entrance.

How often should a shop's automatic doors be serviced?

High-traffic doors should be serviced every three months and most commercial automatic doors every six, in line with EN 16005. Shop entrances are usually high-traffic, so ask for the interval to be agreed when the door is installed. We offer repairs, call-outs and planned maintenance contracts.

Do you fit shop doors in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic?

Yes. NS Motion is based in Kilcock, Co. Kildare, and supplies, installs, services and repairs automatic doors across Dublin, the rest of the Republic of Ireland, and Belfast and Northern Ireland. Call +353 86 382 7196 or use our contact page to book a survey.

Book a survey

Planning a new shop entrance?

Send us photos and measurements, or book a survey. Our team works from Kilcock, Co. Kildare, and fits and services automatic doors for shops and commercial buildings across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Book a shopfront survey Call +353 86 382 7196 See our automatic doors range

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