Monthly Archives: July 2009

Chip Off The Old Block

I guess it's only fair.  If my family welcomes the new Falcon exit device along on our summer road trip, it should have a name that's a little easier for the kids to remember than 25-R-L.  The first thing we had to determine was the gender of our device.  Although boats and cars are generally female, apparently door hardware is typically male because it was unanimous.  Given the fact that the Falcon 24/25 has some similar features to his relative, the Von Duprin 98/99, and considering the absolutely horrendous names chosen by my kids, our device has been christened...Chip.  Chip Falcon. Sounds like a character Pierce Brosnan would play.

By |2013-10-29T13:40:59-04:00July 31st, 2009|Chip Falcon Road Trip|0 Comments

"Honey…Did you pack the Falcon exit device??"

I really enjoy blogging because I can talk to my fellow door and hardware professionals in a more personal way, without all the corporate-speak that makes my eyes glaze over (no offense, corporate speakers).  Well, this conversation is about to get a lot more personal.  I'm leaving on a family road trip tomorrow and I'm taking you with me.

By |2018-05-25T11:25:45-04:00July 30th, 2009|Chip Falcon Road Trip|3 Comments

9 Out of 10 Birds Surveyed Prefer LCN

I have a lot of pet peeves - just ask my family.  One of my pet peeves is when I see a door closer on the "wrong" side of a door.  It could be the corridor side of an electric room, the outside of a bathroom, or, like the photo to the left, the weather side of an exterior door.  I just don't understand how a closer ends up on the wrong side of the door, especially when many of them (the one at left included) come packed with all of the parts and pieces required to install it three different ways.

By |2014-10-08T09:24:45-04:00July 29th, 2009|Door Closers, Funky Applications, Reader Photos|1 Comment

Pocket Pivots

I recently received this photo from an architect who wanted to use the Von Duprin Inpact devices pictured here on another museum I'm working on.  I've used these several times when an architect wanted the panic device powder coated a similar color to the door.  As with LCN closers, Von Duprin panic hardware can be powder coated in a multitude of colors (refer to the Tiger Drylac brochure called RAL Exterior/Interior).

Violators Will Be Fined!

When a delayed egress lock is used on an egress door, the codes require signage instructing the building occupant to "PUSH UNTIL ALARM SOUNDS, DOOR CAN BE OPENED IN 15 SECONDS." When the code official approves a 30-second delay, the signage must reflect that increase.  At least the signage on this egress door (yes, there is an exit sign which is not visible in the photo) will keep the person occupied while he or she waits for 30 seconds to pass.  ;-)

Accessibility by State

Here's a great list of accessibility code requirements and contacts by state.  It lists the accessibility code or standard for each state, as well as the contact information for the state agency that oversees the accessibility requirements.  The list was compiled by the United States Access Board, an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.  There's a wealth of other information on their website, so check it out!

By |2013-09-01T09:09:32-04:00July 22nd, 2009|Accessibility|0 Comments

Where there’s a will, there’s a way…

I love seeing the inventive ways people install door hardware, and it seems like the product with the most creative installations is the door closer.  LCN thought their stick-on installation templates would take the creativity out of door closer installation, but there are still plenty of inventive installations out there.

By |2014-10-08T09:20:25-04:00July 21st, 2009|Door Closers, Funky Applications, Reader Photos|0 Comments

Clear Opening Width

Back in the 80's, there was a lot of confusion about how to measure the clear opening width of doors. The codes and standards weren't clear, so on doors with panic devices the fire marshals were looking for 32" between the panic device and the stop on the strike jamb.  As each code and standard was revised to include information clarifying this requirement, I would periodically call the State Fire Marshal's office in the state where we most often had the problem. They stopped taking my calls but they eventually changed the way they measured clear opening width.

By |2013-10-18T15:01:33-04:00July 14th, 2009|Accessibility, Means of Egress|4 Comments

Rod Guards

I'm a big fan of creative hardware applications like these PVC rod guards on an exterior pair in a high school, but I think they should have considered adding some bottom latch guards.  The latches don't even have their covers!   FYI...Von Duprin does manufacture rod and latch guards - the RG-27, also available as a rod guard only (RGO), a latch guard only (LGO), or an extended latch guard only (LGO-3' or 4').

Special Template Update

If you're a frequent visitor to this site you probably know the story...I posted a photo of a concealed closer that is installed so that it's visible through the frame face, and the hardware supplier/installer saw the photo on my site and emailed me to tell me the situation.  Apparently it was not a mistake - it was an ingenious solution to a problem, and they used it on 15 pairs of doors in a hotel.  I asked the supplier to send me a photo of the completed installation with the custom cover plates in place, and he recently emailed me to say that he "drove down to the Dead Sea and took pictures..."

By |2012-01-27T22:10:01-05:00July 7th, 2009|Door Closers, Reader Photos|1 Comment

Astragals with Vertical Rod Panics

An astragal is a piece of molding used on a pair of doors or between the top and bottom leaves of a Dutch door, to provide security, protect against weather conditions, prevent light or sound transmission, or to retard the passage of smoke, flame, or gases during a fire.  On a Dutch door the astragal is used to close the bottom leaf in conjunction with the top leaf.  An astragal should not be confused with a mullion, which sits between (fixed) or behind (removable) the meeting stiles of a pair.

Moroccan Doors

I have visited 10 countries in Africa, so in honor of the first African country to host a visitor to this website (the 38th country to visit the site!), I decided to post an African door photo from my collection.  I searched through the albums of my trips and found hundreds of photos of elephants, lions, and my fellow campers behaving badly, but hardly any photos of doors!  I will eventually find and post my photo collection called the Doors of Zanzibar, but in the meantime, here are a few shots of the doors of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca Morocco.  To give these openings some scale, that's me sitting in front of a GIANT door, beside a door similar in size to the one in the close-up.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:02-05:00July 5th, 2009|Beautiful Doors, Funky Applications|0 Comments

Index

I've added a new page to help you find what you're looking for - the Index tab above.  There are already 76 posts (!) and I'll be adding two new features shortly.  One will be a series called Industry Profiles - to help you get to know some of the great people who work in the door & hardware industry.  The other is in response to your requests...a series called Basic Training.  Our office periodically offers a 5-week course by the same name, which is a pretty generic introduction to doors & hardware including mechanical and electrified hardware, codes, and blueprint reading.  Many of our current customers are Basic Training alumni.  Quite a few people have found this website and asked for more information on the basics, so they can learn about hardware from the ground up.  I hope to have the first posts of both series ready next week.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:02-05:00July 2nd, 2009|General Info|0 Comments

Manual Flush Bolts

Here's a little reminder to make sure you size the top rod correctly when using manual flush bolts on doors that are over 7' tall.  Most manufacturers offer a top rod that is 12" (standard), 24", 36", or 48" long.  In this application, I would have probably specified panic hardware on both leaves depending on the door height and vertical rod capabilities, or an automatic flush bolt for the top bolt, which would be projected by the active leaf.  I'm not a big fan of automatic flush bolts, but a 48" long top rod might not be quite long enough to bring the bolt down to an operable height.  I have also seen hardware suppliers buy threaded rod to increase the top rod length, but at some point the rod gets too long to operate smoothly.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:02-05:00July 1st, 2009|Funky Applications, Reader Photos|1 Comment
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