Today’s Fixed-it Friday photo came from Paul Cernak of Allegion.  It’s another creatively-ingenious lockdown method that is not code-compliant.  The white block is attached to the frame with a magnet.  The outside lever of the active leaf is kept in the locked position, and the block prevents the door from closing completely.  The door may be pulled open from the outside even though it is locked, because the door does not latch when the block is in place.  If a lockdown is required, the block is pulled out of position, dangles from the string (nice touch!), and the door closes.  Once latched, the door is already locked, preventing access.

Because this is a fire door, it must close and latch to deter the spread of smoke and flames.  NFPA 80 addresses products which do not latch each time the door closes, but requires that “in a fire emergency, the door becomes positively latched by means of an automatic fail-safe device that is activated by an automatic fire detector.”  Devices which prevent positive latching and are not released by the fire alarm system (like magnets that cover the strike or products that hold the door open slightly) are not in compliance with the NFPA 80 requirements for fire doors.

Latch Preventer

You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.