FAQs
As I close in on 500 published posts, it can sometimes be tough to find what you’re looking for if you have a specific question. You can use the search box, or scroll through the index, but there are A LOT of results to look through. I have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions here. If there’s another question that needs to be added, just leave me a comment.
Panic Hardware
When/where are panic devices required?
Which electric rooms require panic hardware?
Locks and Bolts
Can I install more than one lock on a door?
Are double cylinder deadbolts allowed in residential occupancies?
Why is my oil-rubbed bronze finish coming off?
When can manual flush bolts be used?
Electrified Hardware
Is it acceptable to lock stairwell doors?
What release devices are required for mag-locks?
Closers
Accessibility
What is the required clear opening width for an accessible door?
What is the maximum opening force for an accessible door?
Fire and Smoke Doors
Do current codes allow the use of wire glass in fire doors?
When I have a rated wall, what is the required rating for the door?
Which doors are required to have smoke gasketing?
When will fire door inspections be required in my jurisdiction?
General
August 1st, 2011 3:47 pm
We are having a debate in my office. I say that you can’t use an electric strike on an interior stairwell door as the required positive latching can’t be maintained. This holds true even if one were to use a fire rated electric strike. Then if all of this is true what is an application for a fire rated strike? If it is in a fire rated wall and the access system has the door unlocked there is no postive latch?
August 3rd, 2011 11:54 am
Hi Mark -
Rather than defining a strike as fire rated or non, I would think of them as fail safe or fail secure. Fail safe strikes can’t be used on fire doors because of the requirement for positive latching. Fail secure strikes can be used on fire doors or non-rated doors, and fail secure is the more common function.
On a stairwell door, you have 2 issues…the doors are fire rated, and in most cases, the door must provide reentry upon fire alarm. There are very limited situations where a stair door doesn’t need to provide reentry, and in those cases you could use a fail secure if you wanted to provide access control on that door. In most stairwells, the doors must unlock upon fire alarm or a signal from the fire command center, so the locking hardware must be fail safe. Since a fail safe electric strike can’t be used on a fire door, you’d have to use a fail safe lock, fail safe exit device trim, or a mag-lock (fail safe by nature) with a passage set.
If you have other questions, just drop me a line.