When I started this blog, my goals were to organize all of the code information I had into a searchable database, and to offer a more painless way to learn about hardware.  I think one of the hardest things about starting out in this industry is the way most of us learn about it – at the School of Hard Knocks.  There are some great classes available through DHI and other sources, but it can take a very long time to attend them all, which gives us plenty of opportunities to make mistakes.  I know I’ve made my fair share over the years, so I wanted to help people learn a little bit at a time and hopefully make it as painless as possible.

An unexpected benefit of this blog is the people I’ve connected with worldwide.  It’s amazing how small the world has become.  Many of the people I’ve connected with have submitted photos, or joined the conversation by leaving comments or contacting me directly, and I really appreciate that.  There are other hardware industry members who have generously allowed me to share some of their expertise here, and I will include links to their resources in future posts.

♦ Tom Rubenoff has worked in the hardware industry for more than 30 years – 17 years as a commercial locksmith and 13+ in hardware distribution.  He’s also an accomplished poet and writer, and lucky for us, he sometimes writes about doors and hardware.  I asked Tom if I could occasionally post links to his hubs, and he graciously agreed.  Here are links to a couple of Tom’s posts on Door Closer Basics and Door Closer Adjustment.

♦ Rachel Smith, president of Karpen Steel, publishes a monthly newsletter including lots of special applications that you don’t see every day.  She recently sent me a photo of a winery door with homemade hardware, including some intricately-designed but horrible-looking and non-code-compliant cremone bolts.  If you really zoom in (click to enlarge first), you can see a portion of the bolt on each door held in place with a bungee cord.  These are used to lock the doors at night.  Just say “NO” to homemade hardware! You can check out archived editions of Rachel’s newsletter here.

♦ Mark Berger, president of Securitech has a great gallery of photos of illegally-locked egress doors, and as you can imagine, I LOVE THEM!  Securitech manufactures all kinds of innovative products to provide security for these doors, while also meeting life safety requirements – eliminating the need for the non-compliant “security modifications” that are so prevalent.  Mark allows the photos in his gallery to be used for educational purposes, and you can check them out here.  Mark is also involved with the Door Safety Council, which you can learn more about here.

By the way…Rachel, Mark, and I were all published in the December issue of Doors & Hardware magazine.  The magazine will be publishing one of my blog posts each month as a column!  🙂

Do you know someone else who writes about doors and hardware and might like to contribute to this blog?  Email me!

Did you know that you can subscribe to this blog so you never miss a new post?  Check the sidebar for a link!

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