Heavy-duty grilles, also called gym grilles, are specialty air distribution devices designed to withstand strong impact and heavy foot traffic. Heavy-duty grilles are made from thicker, stronger materials than standard commercial grilles, and resist breaking or denting from incidental contact.
Common applications for heavy-duty grilles include gymnasiums and field houses, parking garages, airports, and other locations where grilles are installed at the low wall or foot traffic level.
Why It’s Important To Specify the Right Heavy-Duty Bar Grille
Heavy-duty grilles play an important role in keeping high-use facilities operational through their heightened endurance, safety-focused construction, and large size.
Endurance: Thicker gauge materials and all-welded construction help heavy-duty grilles resist denting or breaking from incidental impact in high-traffic areas.
Safety: Fully captured blades, welded into support bars, prevent damaged heavy-duty grille blades from snapping out of frame and serving as safety hazards.
Size: Heavy-duty grilles are built for size and strength, ensuring proper airflow and manageable noise levels for large interior spaces.
How To Specify a Heavy-Duty Bar Grille for Gymnasiums and Field Houses
Materials
The choice of materials for a heavy-duty grille depends on budget and environmental factors. All heavy-duty grilles feature solid metal bars and fully-welded construction.
- Painted Steel: A commonly used, cost-effective material.
- Aluminum: A mid-cost material that is lighter and more corrosion-resistant that coated steel.
- Stainless Steel: A high-cost, heavy-duty material, chosen when environmental factors could impact the longevity of coated steel or aluminum.
Construction
- Fully Captured Blades: Heavy-duty grilles feature fully captured blades that go through the support bars, strengthening the grille and preventing damaged blades from breaking off or jutting out.
- Gauge Thickness: The material gauge thickness of the grille face flange and support bars can be customized depending on project requirements.
Mounting Options
Flanged or Band Frame
- Flanged Frame: The heavy-duty grille frame material forms a flange that overlaps with the wall.
- Band Frame: The heavy-duty grille frame contains no outward flange and is flush with the wall, creating a clean look.
Face or Concealed Mounting
- Face Mounting: The heavy-duty grille is mounted to the wall with screws/fasteners that are visible on its face.
- Concealed Mounting: The heavy-duty grille is mounted behind the wall from inside the core and between the blades, concealing the fasteners.
Fixed, Hinged, or Removable Core
- Fixed Core: The core, or the part of the heavy-duty grille inside of the frame, is welded directly to the frame.
- Hinged Core: A section of the core is on a hinge, which can be lifted up to allow hand access to the inside of the duct.
- Removable Core: The core is fully removable from the frame.
Filter Frame: A filter frame can be built into a heavy-duty grille to hold air filters. Filter frames feature a hinged frame to allow for easy access and replacement of filters.
Finish
- Painted: Steel or aluminum can be painted to match a desired color.
- Satin: A polished look for aluminum or stainless steel.
- Anodized: Aluminum treated for a durable finish.
Why KEES
When you need maximum-strength grilles that can really take a beating, look no further than the experts at KEES. We specialize in single-piece heavy-duty grilles, eliminating seams and reducing installation time and cost.
Single Piece Solutions: KEES makes the largest single-piece grilles in the industry. Our heavy-duty grilles are sized at the factory to fully cover duct openings, and shipped to clients all in one piece – no on-site welding or assembly required.
Custom Shapes: When wall space is at a premium, and conventional grille shapes won’t cut it, KEES works with clients to create uniquely shaped heavy-duty grilles that maximize space and airflow. Examples include triangular grilles to follow the pitch of the roof and trapezoidal grilles to fit under stairwells.
