A wicket door is a small door within a large door or gate. The Dutch names are klinket and winket; in modern building it is usually called a pass door or integrated personnel door. The wicket lets a single person through without moving the heavy gate — important at city gates, church portals and barn doors, and still useful in garage and industrial doors today.
Where it applies
- Historic gates and church doors — a wicket in one leaf of a double portal
- Barn and farmyard doors — the everyday route in and out without opening the main leaves
- Sectional and up-and-over doors — the integrated pass door in a garage or industrial door
- Industrial sliding doors — where opening the main door costs a lot of heat or time
Points to watch on a modern pass door
- The threshold — a pass door in a sectional door almost always has a raised threshold in the order of 100 to 150 mm. That is a genuine trip hazard and makes the door unsuitable as a route for a wheelchair or a barrow. Low-threshold versions exist but cost more
- Clear opening — expect a net width of roughly 800 to 900 mm; check this carefully if the door also serves as an escape route
- Safety interlock — the pass door must be latched before the main door can move; a contact switch that inhibits the operator is standard and has to work
- Insulation and draughts — the perimeter seal of a pass door is the weak point of an insulated door; look closely at the quality of the gaskets
- Hand of opening — a pass door usually opens outwards; check that this suits the location and that it will not swing into a parked car or the drive
Practical tips
- Retrofitting is rarely possible — a pass door determines the panel layout and spring balance of a sectional door; specify it when ordering, not afterwards
- On listed buildings — repairing an old wicket means keeping the original ironmongery; agree the approach with the conservation officer
- Maintain the ironmongery — a wicket is used many times more often than the gate around it; lubricate hinges and locks regularly
Related terms
- Door
- Gate
- Rebate
- Clear opening
- Door frame
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