Accessibility Requirements for Door Openings
Imagine you had to tell someone all about the accessibility requirements in 800 words...what did I miss?
FF: Quirky Entrance
I love this door (although I question its structural integrity) - and yes, I have been called quirky a few times. Why be normal?!
Decoded: Stairwell Reentry
This is one of the code issues I receive the most questions about, so it's the topic of my next Decoded column. Let me know if I didn't answer all of your questions. :)
WW: Man Cave
According to my coworker, Mark Kuhn of Allegion, this Wordless Wednesday photo shows the egress side of this door. What's wrong with this picture??
School Security & Safety Lawsuit
Last week, the family of Colleen Ritzer filed a lawsuit against the town of Danvers, the school department, the architectural firm that designed the new wing of the school where the teacher was killed, and the cleaning company...
WWYD? Arched Door – Auto Operator
The proposed solution for an auto operator on an arched door is shown below the photo, but I'm wondering if there are more aesthetically-pleasing options. WWYD?
FF: Closer Conundrum
Alec Walsh of Allegion sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo and we're both scratching our heads wondering what would cause someone to install a closer in this manner. Any ideas?
UL: CloseYourDoor.org
UL Launches "Close Your Door" Pledge to Help Prevent Fire Deaths
WW: I give up. Uncle!
This Wordless Wednesday photo came from Kim Loux of Hellyer Lewis. Some days I just want to throw in the towel. Who could possibly think this is a good idea??
I’m not in a ditch. :)
I've been having some technical difficulties which affected the website and my email, and several people have contacted me to say (as my mother would say), "I'm worried that you are in a ditch somewhere!"
School/College Planning & Management
What should a school consider before purchasing classroom barricade devices, also known as temporary door locking devices?
FF: Restroom Closer
Julia Bradley of Willis Klein sent me this photo of a closer she saw in a restroom. Yes, the mounting is not per the manufacturer's instructions, but what's really odd is the paint job. Why bother?
QQ: Fire Door Frames with Existing Wall Anchors
"When I'm installing a fire-rated frame into an existing opening using existing wall anchors, how much space can I have around the frame, and what is permissible to use to seal that gap?"
WW: Touchfree
The problem with this application is the lever handle that you apparently also have to turn. What's the point of the touchfree pull when you have to touch the lever??
WWYD? Communicating Bathroom Locks
Yesterday, an engineer from a state fire marshal's office asked me about locks on a shared bathroom in a college dorm. In a single family home, these "Jack and Jill" bathrooms have privacy sets that are lockable from inside the bathroom, so there isn't an egress problem...
“Do I need panic hardware here?”
This is THE most frequently-asked question that I receive. A specifier, supplier, architect, or end user has a retail, multi-family, office building, or other type of facility, and they want to know whether the exterior, stairwell, or emergency-exit doors need panic hardware...
FF: Padlocked Panics
Leo Lebovits of M&D Door & Hardware sent me these photos from his summer vacation...this is a particularly egregious situation - very scary.
Emergency Entrance?
In case you think I have all of the answers, I don't know why this door has been designated an emergency entrance. And if it's supposed to be used to enter the building during an emergency, why doesn't it have any hardware on the outside?
WW: Lockout Prevention
Sometimes a Fixed-it Friday photo is so good (or bad!) that it qualifies for Wordless Wednesday status. Ted Wightman of Allegion sent me this gem...found on a restroom door where they have apparently had one too many lockouts.
School-Related Performance Crime
Last night, my friend posted on Facebook that her daughter, a freshman in college, had received a text warning from the school that there was a creepy clown nearby...
WWYD? Manual Flush Bolts on Fire-Rated Pairs
Manual flush bolts on pairs of fire doors leading to rooms not normally occupied by humans? WWYD?