Concealed Door Closer Replacement Long Island | Dorma Kaba RTS88 Install

Concealed door closer replacement on Long Island is one of the more specialized commercial door hardware jobs — and it’s exactly the type of work NYC Doors and More handles across Nassau and Suffolk County. When a property in East Long Island called us about a door that wasn’t closing properly, we found the culprit immediately: a leaking concealed overhead closer well past its service life.

The Problem: Leaking International Door Closers Unit

The existing hardware was a concealed overhead unit by International Door Closers, installed inside the door frame header. This style of closer is common in commercial buildings because it’s completely hidden — no exposed arm or body on the door face — keeping the entrance looking clean and professional.

After years of heavy use, the unit had begun leaking hydraulic fluid internally. Once the hydraulic pressure is gone, the closer loses all control over door speed. The door was either swinging freely with no resistance, or failing to latch on its own — both a safety issue and a code compliance concern.

Signs a concealed door closer needs replacement:

• Door swings open freely with no resistance
• Door fails to latch or return fully
• Visible fluid leaking from the header area
• Door slams or moves too fast/slow inconsistently

The Replacement: Dorma Kaba RTS88 with Hold-Open

We replaced the failed unit with a Dorma Kaba RTS88 — one of the most reliable concealed overhead closers available for commercial applications. The RTS88 fits many existing concealed closer cutouts, which made this a clean swap without frame modification.

The key upgrade on this job: hold-open function. The door can now be held in the open position at a set angle — great for deliveries, high-traffic periods, or ADA-accessible flow — then released to close and latch automatically on its own.

Dorma Kaba RTS88 features:

• Fully concealed inside the frame header — nothing visible on the door
• Adjustable closing speed and separate latch speed control
• Hold-open function built into the cam mechanism
• Heavy-duty commercial grade for high-frequency doors
• Direct replacement for many legacy concealed closer cutouts

The Installation

Concealed overhead closer replacement is not a standard handyman job. The closer body sits inside a narrow channel in the frame header, and the spindle must align precisely with the door’s pivot point. Our Long Island technician:

1. Removed the leaking International Door Closers unit from the header pocket
2. Confirmed the Dorma Kaba RTS88 dimensions matched the existing cutout
3. Set spindle and pivot alignment to the door’s center
4. Installed and secured the new closer in the header channel
5. Adjusted closing speed, latch speed, and hold-open cam angle
6. Tested full open and close cycles to confirm smooth operation

The result: controlled, consistent close — with a reliable hold-open that releases cleanly every time.