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?
FF: Auto Operator Coordination
If an automatic operator is properly coordinated so the latch is released when the actuator is pressed, only the signage required by the BHMA standard should be needed. This is an accident waiting to happen.
Guest Post: Motor Up Your Locks – Kenny Abell
Electrified locks using motors can offer users several advantages over solenoid technology. Do you know what the advantages are?
WW: Public School Exit
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photo from LaForce, Inc. It was taken in a Chicago Public School. Wordless.
Hello Helsinki
Some days I just need to take a break from the code questions and check out a really cool door. Luckily, George Everding (and his wife Maureen who suggested that he take the photo for me) saw this door...
NFPA – Fire Safety for People with Disabilities
Last week I received questions from two different facility managers about egress requirements the evacuation of people with disabilities. More than 43 million Americans have a disability...
FF: Hygienic Handle
Alex Howe of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo of a piece of hardware he recently saw on a restroom door. Although I have never seen this product before, the plastic cover on the pull made it pretty easy to track down...
Intro to Keying Terms (video)
Last night, my oldest daughter told me that her science assignment was to explain how inclined planes are used in keys. She had researched it, and described how the pins go into the cuts on the key...
WW: Tunnel Vision
Steve Murray from Security Lock Distributors sent me these Wordless Wednesday photos...see any issues?
WWYD? Airborne Flour and Grease
On past kitchen projects, I addressed the potential for frequent cleaning by specifying stainless steel hardware. But floating particulates?
WWYD? Thermal-Break Frames
What drives the need for thermal-break frames and similar products in your jurisdiction? Is it an energy code, another code or standard, LEED...
FF: Access Control Gone Wrong
This is the perfect image to reinforce why it's so important to coordinate the electrified hardware / access control in advance. I have to admit - I learned this lesson the hard way...
Decoded: Dwelling Unit & Sleeping Unit Entrance Doors
According to the International Building Code (IBC) and NFPA 101 – The Life Safety Code, most doors in a means of egress are required to unlatch with one releasing operation. One exception to this rule is when a door leads to a residential dwelling unit or sleeping unit...
WW: Angle-Iron Stop
Thank you to Ted Wightman of Allegion for today's Wordless Wednesday photo! I have no words...
Intro to Continuous Hinges (video)
Here's another of our latest set of whiteboard animation videos - taking it back to basics and discussing continuous hinges. If you know someone who is learning about hardware and could benefit from these "intro" videos, please share a link with them!
Good News – 2018 IFC on Classroom Security
The classroom security change that will be included in the 2018 IFC is consistent with the IBC, and early adoption of this language would go a long way toward maintaining life safety and creating a uniform set of requirements across the United States.
Opinion: Lock Functions for Classrooms – Don Cherry
I occasionally publish a post from a guest blogger, and I just learned that sometimes the author can receive CEUs for these posts through various industry organizations. Today's post is from Don Cherry of Allegion.
WW: Double Trouble
Dave Carter of Allegion sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo - taken in a restaurant. You might be thinking, "Maybe this isn't a required exit..."
DHI Member Spotlight: ME!
I'm not a spotlight-seeker...when I was growing up, I wanted to be a back-up singer - not the headliner. But there's a member-spotlight article about me in this month's issue of Doors & Hardware that I feel like I should save for posterity (and Mom). I even got a new head shot...
FF: Captured Lever
David Toloday of Allegion sent me these photos and I had to ask - does the lever move? Was I seeing things? No - the lever does not move. Turn the key to retract the latch. I can't say that I've seen this application before...
Intro to Electromechanical Locking Hardware (video)
Here's another of our latest group of whiteboard animation videos; this one covers electromechanical locking hardware like electric strikes, electric latch retraction panic hardware, electrified locksets, and electrified trim for panic hardware...
WW: Wild West Fire Exit
The exit sign over the door was washed out by the flash, but it is there and it is illuminated as required. I wonder if this door would/could actually be used in an emergency...
WWYD? Clearance vs. Undercut
Last week I got a call about a problem that led me to do some research on the difference between the clearance and the undercut on a fire door. On the project in question, the fire doors were supplied with a 5/8-inch undercut...
Signage for Low Energy Automatic Doors
Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion sent me this photo, showing some confusing signage on an automatic door (push to operate an outswinging door?) - which reminded me that it's been years since I've written about the signage requirements for low-energy automatic doors...
FF: ADA Upgrade
I received these photos from Don Funsch of Commercial Mill & Builders Supply. The interesting thing about these photos is not that the mailbox has been placed in front of the door, because this door isn't a required means of egress. What makes them worthy...
Decoded: Balconies, Terraces, and Courtyards (October 2016)
Many of today’s architectural designs incorporate outdoor spaces such as balconies, terraces, and courtyards, allowing building occupants access to natural light and fresh air. How do the model codes handle these areas?
WW: Holey Hurricane
This Wordless Wednesday door is for a Florida public school's hurricane shelter. :(
Construction Specifier: Battling the Barricade
In the wake of any tragedy, society struggles collectively to process the loss. For some it is the loss of friends and loved ones, but for most it is our feelings of safety and trust in the overall goodness of our fellow man that are diminished or seemingly lost entirely. In their place, we are filled with an overwhelming desire to do something...
Controlled Egress vs. Delayed Egress (video)
For health care facilities, controlled egress can provide a greater level of safety for patients who require containment because of their clinical needs. This video explains the requirements for controlled egress and delayed egress...
FF: Two Bars Are Better Than One?
A while back, I posted some photos of a door that had panic hardware along with several stationary push bars. Although the model codes don't specifically address this application, I don't think it's acceptable...
Garage Fire Door
These photos from the Glassboro Fire Department are a terrific reminder of the value of fire doors. Although most doors in single-family homes are not required to be fire-rated, the International Residential Code does require protection between the garage and the home...
WW: Trouble in Texarkana
I am writing this blog post from a hotel in Texarkana, Arkansas, where I saw the Wordless Wednesday door in the photos below. I hope that by the time you read this post I will be back on the road. Fingers crossed!
WWYD? More Big Doors
WWYD if asked to specify/supply oversized doors for a commercial or institutional project? How would you hang doors like this?
Fail Secure vs. Fail Safe (video)
When working with electrified hardware it's very important to understand the difference between fail secure and fail safe products. I hope this video helps!
FF: Custom Dogging
I received this photo from Tabor Stride of Commercial Door Company...at least it doesn't appear to be a fire door!
Stairwell Reentry (video)
I've received a lot of questions about stairwell reentry lately, so I think it's time for me to address that topic in another article for Doors & Hardware. In the meantime, here's a new whiteboard animation video about stairwell reentry!