Bob Harder, Key Contributor to our Success
A few months ago I got the bittersweet news that one of my favorite people in our industry, Bob Harder, was retiring. I'm not afraid to say...I got a little misty.
Colorado Convention Center
I've had dozens of architects ask me to specify hardware for doors with something "unusual" applied to them...sheetrock, wood, stone...one of our hardware consultants even had an architect propose full-sized brick covering the entire face of the door. I always try to talk them out of it, but I have to admit it's pretty cool when I see doors where the architect didn't take "no" for an answer.
Big and Beautiful Denver Door
It's been a busy couple of weeks that didn't leave me a lot of time for blogging - last week I went to LCN to have dinner with some of my favorite customers from Israel, witnessed a fire test at UL, then spent the rest of the week at the AIA conference in Denver where I played Code Jeopardy with the Denver chapter of DHI, played a mini version with LOTS of AIA attendees, and taught a class at the conference with Bill Lawliss. We're spending this week with our new group of specwriter apprentices, as well as the previous group - they have already learned enough to help us with the instructing! I have been amazed at how quickly they picked up the product information, code requirements, and specification techniques. Here's a group photo from our field trip to Harvard yesterday:
WW: Cut it Out
Yes, this is a fire door. Anyone see a problem here?
Decoded: Tactile Warning
This post was printed in the June 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
Beautiful Doors of Denver
I'm in Denver for the AIA conference, and this afternoon I played a rousing game of Code Jeopardy with the Denver Chapter of DHI. If you're at the AIA conference this week, stop at our booth (#530) to play a short version of Code Jeopardy and your name will be entered to win an iPad Mini! You can enter whether you get the questions right or not, and you'll probably learn something about a new code requirement in the process.
WW: Are the kids to blame?
Last Friday I posted an article about a school district settlement with a student, after a severe injury due to impact with traditional wired glass. The article mentioned that a "15-year-old high school student fell while climbing atop a stack of rolled up wrestling mats." What the article didn't say was that the mats had been rolled up between practices, and the student was helping to set up - the mats were stuck together and he climbed up to help free the mat and slipped, impacting the glass. His injury was horrific, and he's lucky to be alive.
School District Settles for $2 Million and Apologizes
I've gotten in the habit of looking at wired glass to see if it has a certification mark for impact-resistance. Almost none of the existing wired glass that I've seen has the mark, which means that unless it has field-applied film (I haven't spotted any film yet), it is extremely hazardous. When I see kids running down the school corridors or swarming the exit at the end of the school day, I worry about impact with the glass, and the resulting injuries. Our kids are supposed to be safe at school, but the majority of schools have traditional wired glass in place. And if administrators think they are protected from liability, a precedent is being set that indicates otherwise...
WW: Powerbolts
This opening is secured by power bolts, which are released via the wall switch. The panic hardware is just for show...there's no way for the devices to latch without a mullion. :(
The Clock is Ticking
Last month I posted an article by Kenneth T. Lumb about the liability that schools carry with regard to non-impact-resistant wired glass. I received a comment from former Oregon State Senator Vicki Walker, who has been an instrumental and passionate force in removing traditional wired glass from Oregon schools. With her permission, I have posted her comment below (or click here to download a PDF version).
Online Code Resources
I've compiled some of the code resources I currently use, in hopes that some of them might be helpful to you. If there are other websites that you visit for code information, please leave a comment and I'll add them to the list.
New York City – Part 2
Here are some more photos from my weekend in NYC...these are all about taking a closer look.
Fire & Egress Doors in the News
Fire in China poultry plant kills more than 100 people - Al Jazeera (vide0)
WW: New York City
This photo is from one of the fine establishments we visited in NYC. You can tell it's *fine* because of the champagne buckets.
New York City – Part 1
Over the weekend I spent some time in New York with my friends, and as you can probably imagine I saw A LOT of doors of interest. Here are some of them...