Although control vestibules are not currently addressed in the model codes, a change has been approved for the 2027 edition of the I-Codes and may be used to request AHJ approval.
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Check out my crossword puzzle from the conference issue of Door Security + Safety Magazine, to review some of the code requirements related to electrified hardware!
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In this month’s Decoded column for Door Security + Safety Magazine, I answered a question about the differences between fire door inspections and egress door inspections.
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How do the accessibility standards affect the use of keys and electronic credentials? Find out in this month’s Decoded column for Door Security + Safety Magazine.
Calling all architects! I am looking for a partial plan similar to the image in this post to use with a print article about a change to the I-Codes addressing elevator lobby security. Can you help?
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My next Decoded column addresses important code clarifications related to electrified hardware used in access control systems. I hope this article will help with more consistent interpretations of the requirements.
There has been a lot of confusion over the last decade or two about smoke barrier doors in hospitals, nursing homes, and other types of health care facilities. The answers to these FAQs should help to clarify the requirements.
Although the model codes do allow turnstiles if certain criteria are met, egress and accessibility requirements must be addressed in order to ensure adequate life safety and access for all building occupants.
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Today’s Quick Question is a good one…When a specific requirement stated in a referenced standard is in conflict with what is allowed by the code that is referencing the standard, which requirement applies?
Whether it’s a smoking dryer in the laundry room or something more serious, fire door assemblies play a very important role in a building’s fire protection system – even if most people don’t realize it. Another fire door win!
The Rhythm Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi is yet another example of how egress doors can impact life safety during a fire. This video from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation shares some important information about the lessons learned.
This story from WWLTV does a great job of illustrating the importance of compartmentalizing a building for fire protection. It focuses on the firestopping at the new MSY airport in New Orleans, and discusses the potential results of voids that are not code-compliant.
There was a time when trimming doors in the field was common. With most doors now arriving prefit, prebeveled, and premachined from the manufacturer, they should not need to be undersized further in the field.
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I will be publishing several sets of frequently asked questions this year, with more detailed supporting articles on each topic. If you have a FAQ that you’d like to add to the list, leave it in the comment box and I will include it in a future article.
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I was recently asked to create a class for locksmiths, installers, or others who are looking for a crash course on the most frequently-asked code questions related to door openings. And here it is! Share it with all who could benefit from this training!
I worked on several GSA projects back when I was writing hardware specifications, and I don’t remember ever seeing the facilities standards that have been published by the GSA, addressing certain types of federal projects. Here are the highlights…
Is there a code requirement that would prohibit the installation of automatic operators above an acoustical tile ceiling? Would the working space required by NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code apply here?
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A recent fire in a Bronx apartment building is yet another reminder of the importance of code-compliant fire door assemblies and the need for enforcement of the fire door inspections mandated by current codes and standards.
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This article on controlled egress locks in health care facilities will be published in Locksmith Ledger, as a follow-up article to one I wrote last fall comparing the requirements of the model codes for delayed egress applications.
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John Woestman of BHMA and I worked on this article together, addressing some important changes that will be included in the 2024 IBC. It’s never too early to be aware of what’s coming!
The 2022 edition of NFPA 80 includes some important changes related to the size and attachment methods for signage on fire doors. Can you spot what’s new in the updated standard?
Have you ever struggled with securing an elevator lobby door to prevent access to a tenant space, while complying with the need for a means of egress from the elevator lobby? An approved change to the 2024 IBC should help!
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Joann Robertson of Playground Medic is an expert on playground safety (cool, right?!), and she sent me today’s Fixed-it Friday photos. They’re from a retail store that sells patio accessories, plants, and gifts. Any theories about the motivation behind this fix?
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The new version of the guide is available for download now – just visit iDigHardware.com/guide. Feel free to share this link with your coworkers and others who may benefit from using the Allegion Code Reference Guide!
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Last week, I updated the Decoded article on smoke door requirements of the IBC, and I was asked to update this NFPA 101 post as well. There were not many changes in the 2021 edition of the Life Safety Code, but here is the revised post.
By request, I have updated this article on smoke doors to include the requirements of the 2021 IBC. When you have a question about a smoke door, just decide which of the 5 types it is and refer to the section for that type.
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I receive a lot of questions about gates – I’m sure it’s because it can be very tough to secure a gate while also complying with the requirements of the model codes and referenced standards. Here are some answers…
If this article looks familiar, you’ve been reading iDigHardware for a long time. 🙂 I last wrote a Decoded article on this topic in 2014, but the requirements have changed, so here’s an update.
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On Thursday, August 26th, I will be presenting a webinar covering the 2021 updates to the International Building Code (IBC) and NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code. The webinar qualifies for AIA and DHI continuing education units. I hope to see you there!
Today’s Quick Question may seem ultra-specific, but the answer highlights a couple of important resources: Are there limitations in the accessibility standards regarding the location of a card reader in relation to the door it is controlling?
Earlier this week I wrote about dead end corridors as requested by one of our specwriters. Joel Niemi left a comment that I think is worth sharing, as it’s related to a pretty common situation.
Sometimes a floor plan will show a corridor that ends with a wall or a locked door, creating a dead end. Today’s Quick Question: What is the maximum length of a dead end corridor that is allowed by the model codes?
I know that many iDigHardware readers love Fixed-it Friday, but I especially love when I can use Fixed-it Friday to ask for help (there were so many helpful comments last week!). I have another question this week that I hope you will weigh in on.
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When the ADA standards are more restrictive than an accessibility standard adopted by a state or local jurisdiction, do the more stringent requirements of the ADA standards apply?
Today’s Wordless Wednesday photo, sent in by Rick Eldridge, is from the generator room of a hospital. We’ll just assume (fingers crossed!) that it’s not a fire door assembly.
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Today’s Fixed-it Friday photos come with some questions…is there a way to make this opening code-compliant? It’s obviously not an egress door, but how can building occupants be protected from falling?
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Last year when I wrote a Decoded article and hosted a webinar addressing the code requirements related to touchless openings, many people asked me about the performance of copper. There’s more in today’s post…
My next Decoded article for Door Security + Safety magazine highlights the importance of fire door assembly inspections in multi-unit residential buildings. Enforcing the inspection requirements and repairing deficiencies will undoubtedly save lives.
Today’s Quick Question: Does the 2021 IBC section addressing the locking of exterior spaces allow panic hardware to be omitted on doors serving exterior assembly spaces with an occupant load of 50 people or more?
Today’s Quick Question is one that I had thought about before but this time I finally access the US Access Board: Is a surface-mounted automatic door bottom compliant with the accessibility standards?
I received this photo of a bank of doors with delayed egress panic hardware from Jim Elder of Secured Design LLC, and we got to chatting about some delayed egress questions. I’d love to hear what you think. WWYD?
Today’s Quick Question keeps coming up: On which types of access-control doors do the model codes require the installation of an auxiliary push button to release the electrified lock?
I know that many of us are door-focused, but sometimes other portions of the egress route leave me wordless. How is it possible that problems like this – very obvious problems – remain unresolved for years (decades?)?
Steve Budde of Greenwood Care sent me today’s Fixed-it Friday photo, taken in an apartment building he was visiting. Although I’m a big fan of instructional signage, does anyone see the 4 little problems here?
Last week’s Fixed-it Friday post prompted a Quick Question from one of iDigHardware’s newer readers: “What is a swing-clear hinge and how would I know when to choose this type of hinge over other hinge types?”
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This dogging method was found in a Mexican restaurant, hence the post title which sounds fancy but means “table knife.” 🙂 Thanks to Dave Toloday of Allegion for sharing today’s Wordless Wednesday photo!
Have you ever been SO SURE about something that when you search unsuccessfully for confirmation you start to question what else you might have missed? This one took me by surprise.
While doing some research about special amusements and the applicable code requirements, I was reminded that the 37th anniversary of a special amusements tragedy recently passed; 8 teenagers lost their lives in this fire.
You know me…when I go somewhere new, I never pass up the chance to share photos of the interesting doors I encounter. Unfortunately, my latest trip was a 3-night stay in the local hospital. It’s always something.
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Several colleges and universities approached Allegion to find a solution for individual lockdown of doors with panic hardware and access control. For doors with Von Duprin QEL devices, the Emergency Secure Lockdown (ESL) feature is the answer.
It’s almost swimming pool season! I have updated a past blog post about changes to doors serving pools, spas, and hot tubs to be published as my next Decoded column in Door Security + Safety Magazine.
Stuart Hurwitz shared today’s Wordless Wednesday photo with me…yet another retail store where the manager has no idea that egress doors need to be visible and the means of egress must be clear.
For years, I have loved the locks on the restroom stall doors in one of my favorite restaurants, but I don’t think I’ve shared them here before. (I know…it’s a weird thing to love.)
Today’s Quick Question: Can a threshold be used to address oversized clearance at the bottom of a fire door? What do you think?
I wrote about this change during the 2021 code development cycle, but this post includes the new excerpt from the IBC that requires automatic operators at public entrances. This would be an expensive miss on a project, so just a heads-up.
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In my opinion, removing the fire door assembly inspection requirements through a state modification of the model codes is detrimental to the safety of building occupants. What do you think?
My next Decoded article focuses on safety requirements to consider while addressing school security. And while we’re on the subject, Safe and Sound Schools is conducting their 4th survey on the National State of School Safety, and I invite you to participate.
These doors would be nearly impossible to open in an emergency…they require special knowledge and effort, coordination and dexterity, and the hardware is far above the allowable range. #wordless
As I talk to people about fire door assembly inspection, two sides of the discussion have emerged. Many understand the increased life safety and fire protection provided by code-compliant fire doors – others think the deficiencies are too overwhelming to address.
Great News! UL has published an article to clarify the different UL listings that apply to electrified hardware. This should help with the confusion caused by the model code requirements for the UL 294 listing on certain types of systems.
Past fires in hospitals and nursing homes – and the resulting fatalities – have shaped the codes that we use today. Although today’s codes do not typically require patient room doors to be fire door assemblies, these doors provide a critical layer of protection for patients.
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Questions about double-egress cross-corridor pairs in health care facilities arise frequently, so I have updated this article to reflect the current requirements of the model codes.
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Do you see what I see in these Fixed-it Friday photos? It’s hard to know whether this was done to secure these doors against intruders or to prevent elopement of young students, but either way it’s a problem.
Do you know the difference between these two types of systems – where they’re allowed, what purposes they serve, and all of the code requirements that apply? This presentation covers these systems in detail.
I’ll get back to writing about the codes soon, but I think we could all use a virtual road trip to see some beautiful doors. Check out the variety of doors I found at a local bazaar last weekend!
Today’s Quick Question: If an area requires two or more exit access doors because of the calculated occupant load, how far apart do those egress doors need to be?
Although control vestibules are not currently addressed in the model codes, my next Decoded article covers some of the considerations for the design of these systems, before submission to the AHJ for approval.
There were plenty of times over the years when my kids reluctantly tolerated my “teachable moments” about life safety. I’m so happy to know that some of it stuck! I hope you are talking to your family and friends about doors! 🙂
When I saw this photo, I had flashbacks to all of the times architects asked me to specify doors with other materials attached to them – wood planks, decorative plates, even brick (that was a hard no). What do you think about this application?
After Tuesday’s post about a code change, several people asked me how to tell when panic hardware was required for doors serving a swimming pool enclosure. I decided to create another “Apply It” post and let you work it out.
If you have a garage attached to your home, it is very likely that the swinging door between the garage and the house is required by code to be a 20-minute fire door assembly or the equivalent. Here’s why…
The lever handle in today’s Wordless Wednesday photo posted by Richard Howard on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page is outside of the allowable mounting height range – by a long shot!
It’s hard to believe that it has been so many months since we’ve been able to gather in a classroom together, but during that time Allegion has provided more than 150 online classes. Here’s what’s coming up this week…
Beautiful doors and hard cider…two of my favorite things. But being who I am, I wondered whether the doors were code-compliant, since the model codes allow sliding doors to be used in a means of egress when the occupant load is 10 people or less.
At first glance this may look like just another creative Fixed-it Friday alteration, but upon deeper investigation it’s a cringe-worthy Wordless Wednesday application. How will this opening protective perform during a fire? Who knows??
I have written specs for several projects with SCIF doors, but I learned more about the federal specifications and design requirements while writing my next Decoded article for Door Security + Safety’s military and government issue…
Today’s Quick Question: When does a door opening need a coordinator – and what IS a coordinator, anyway?? Can you help with some images or video to help illustrate this tough-to-explain concept?
In 2020, iDigHardware readers visited the site more than half a million times and spent thousands of hours reading my posts and articles. These are the most popular posts of 2020…did you miss any?
