Archive for April, 2009
There’s a great resource for code information on the Reed Construction Data site. It includes information for all 50 states, major cities, and some counties, and lists contact information for many of the AHJs in each jurisdiction. Check it out!
I didn’t want to scare anyone by adding more information to my previous post about stairwell re-entry, but I do get questions about how to accomplish this. The stairwell re-entry requirements state that the stair side lever must unlock on fire alarm or on a signal from the fire command station depending on the code [...]
I know this looks like a really long and wordy post but you’ll be glad it’s here when you need to refer back to it. Grab a cup of coffee and skim through the first half…in case you haven’t noticed on previous posts, the paragraphs in italicized red text are the code excerpts and you [...]
I saw this hold open device on a fire rated door to a computer lab recently. I guess you make do with what you have on hand, right?
Personally, I think architects like pocket doors way too much but that’s the cool thing about a blog…I get to tell everyone what I think. If you decide to use a pocket door on an opening that is required to be accessible, here’s what you need to know: According to the accessibility standards, the [...]
The 2007 edition of NFPA 80 contains an important change regarding the clearance at the bottom of a fire rated door. In previous editions of this standard, there was a somewhat confusing table (Table 1-11.4) listing different allowable clearance dimensions depending on the flooring material. The 2007 edition simplifies this requirement, allowing 3/4″ clearance under [...]
It was bound to happen eventually. With the 7th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), Massachusetts has joined the rest of the New England states in the requirement for doors to be tested using the positive pressure testing requirements. We have all been hearing about positive pressure for at least 10 years [...]
The locking requirements for roof doors are a bit of a gray area, due to the varied preferences of local code officials. In most cases, the roof door can be locked on the interior side, preventing access to the roof. It is very rare (except in movies) that the egress plan for the building includes [...]
When my daughter was in preschool, she told her class that when she grew up she wanted to be a “hard work insultant”, just like her mom. After 20+ years of explaining to people what I do, I can’t blame her for being a little confused. In case you’ve been wondering why anyone would need a hardware [...]
The hot topic of last week was how to handle locks on dormitory entrance doors, since the students have figured out how to reach under the door with a coat hanger and pull down the lever to unlock the door. There’s a minute+ of bad video below to illustrate the procedure, as reenacted by a [...]
A few years ago, an architect that I’ve worked with for over 20 years called me and indignantly asked, “Do you know the maximum height for a kick plate on a fire door?!” I answered that it was 16″ above the bottom of the door. The architect said, “Well! We tried to write our own [...]
I’m currently working on several projects that have glass doors in walls that are acting as 1-hour fire barriers with closely-spaced sprinkler heads above the glass. The problem with this application from a hardware standpoint is that the Blumcraft, CR Laurence, and Dorma Glas panic hardware that is typically used on glass doors does not [...]
