WWYD? School Entrance Trim
Bob Larson of Builders Hardware brought up a good question the other day...what's the best way to handle the outside trim on the exterior pairs on a school? We all have our preferences, but given the changing security...
FF: Another School “Solution”
First, a few things...For everyone who still has their fingers and toes crossed from yesterday's fire door test, the wood doors passed! In addition to addressing the perimeter clearance problems, a door shoe was tested...
Continued Vigilance
I'm in Chicago today, to attend a fire test at Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook. This product is designed to be used on fire door assemblies where the clearances are larger than those allowed by NFPA 80...
WW: Houston Fire Rescue
For the first time ever - 2 Wordless Wednesday posts in one day! This video will definitely leave you wordless...
WW: Electric Hinge
Something a little different for today's Wordless Wednesday photo - less of a fire door / egress code issue and more of a...fire hazard (and probably an electrical code problem!)?
WWYD? School Sign In
What do you think? Did the school overreact, considering that the parent was known to staff? Or should adherence to security plans be a zero-tolerance policy?...
Decoded: Operable Force for Door Hardware (Updated December 2017)
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, effective in March of 2012, included an unexpected change regarding the maximum allowable force to operate door hardware...
FF: Antique Store Exit
My plan for harnessing the power of the Earth's population to identify and respond to code problems is working! This antique store must have some REALLY valuable antiques in it, but it's ok because someone has Fixed-It...
Risqué and Risky
Last fall, one of my mom-friends turned 40. To celebrate in traditional fashion, we organized a posse of 13 40-something moms to go to a show. Not a show like the GoGos Reunion Tour...a drag show...
WW: School Security on a Budget
Will schools be held liable for "allowing" a crime to happen by giving the unauthorized person the ability to lock the door? I'm not a lawyer, but with schools paying settlements for wired glass injuries and being sued for inadequate security, I think it's something to consider...
Fire Walls
Photos of the collapsed buildings show what appear to be fire walls between each of the adjoining buildings, which may have provided some protection from the explosion and resulting fire. The term "fire wall" is often misused...
FF: Creative Special Template
Here's a little Fixed-it Friday quiz...how could this field modification have been avoided?...
Schools Liable for Lack of Security?
Should schools be held liable for "unacceptable" levels of security? How much security is enough? What steps can schools take to not only provide physical protection for the building and its occupants, but to protect against lawsuits?
WW: Mall Security
This mall exit was spotted by William Hoppe of UC Merced, and the photos were sent to me by Chad Jenkins of the National Locksmithing Institute. Unbelievable...
Let’s Talk it Over
I don't know about you, but I used to feel like code officials were mysterious beings...sometimes they seemed a bit unpredictable. I think a big part of this is because the sections of the codes that we deal with on a daily basis are difficult to decipher if you are not intimately familiar with doors and hardware.
Memory Care Egress
To some, locking doors to prevent egress may seem like a step backward. But in some applications, the danger of elopement is much greater than potential hazards of controlled egress. Until now, it has been difficult for memory care facilities to balance the code requirements for free egress or delayed egress, with the needs of their residents...
FF: Security Solution
The 5th and final recipient of a $50 Amazon gift card in honor of iDigHardware's 5th birthday is Brian Adrian of DH Pace! Brian sent me a great collection of his favorites, some of which I'm saving for future posts, but check out this Fixed-It Friday winner...
Throwback Thursday – Reed Exit Device
I don't recall ever seeing this type of device in person and I didn't find any information online, so I went to my go-to resource - three treasured books by Adon Brownell, HAHC. And in the Architectural Hardware Specifications Handbook (1971), I found it - the hinged crossbar...
WW: School Security
The Wordless Wednesday Winner is Logan Piburn, from Dyron Murphy Architects! Logan sent me LOTS of photos, and explained that these were taken at various rural schools, most built in the early 70's and still in use today. The photos were taken during surveys to identify existing problems and plan renovations.
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Today's winner of the 5th-birthday gift card is Dan Droker of CCI Automated Technologies, who sent me some great photos from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. It makes me happy to imagine some of you embarrassing your spouses and kids by taking door photos during family outings. My family has begun to automatically sense when a door piques my interest, and they make themselves scarce. Except the little one who wants to be in every picture...
Shorty Panics
When panic hardware is installed, the actuating portion of the panic hardware must "extend at least one-half of the door leaf width." I have been taught since my first days in hardware school, that this means the width of the touchpad or crossbar has to measure at least half the width of the door. But lately I've had a couple of situations where someone interpreted this in a different way...