FF: NOT Fire Door
Today's Fixed-it Friday post includes a serious question for all of you to ponder. I'll get to it in a minute. First...I received the photos below from a code official...
There’s the Door
Last week I said that it's not every day you see a cartoon about doors, and then Kevin Lach of Twin City Hardware sent me another one. I think this might sound familiar to some of you...
WW: Don’t Panic
The panic hardware isn't a code violation but it has me scratching my head from a security standpoint. Any theories about why this happened?
QQ: Are deadbolts prohibited in a means of egress?
I've had several situations where an AHJ interpreted the term "bolt lock," used in the International Building Code (IBC), to mean a deadbolt...
KEYNOTES: Enhancing K-12 Security
Despite the dramatic advances in construction, technological tools and safety protocols that have been made in the past two decades, this progress is not always evident in many of our nation’s K-12 buildings...
FF: Don’t Talk to Me About Fear
Maybe this is cracking me up because it's the middle of the night...I guess we'll see if it's still funny in the morning.
Means of Egress Reliability
So where do the model codes say that the stored materials shown in the photos are creating an egress problem? There are several places...
WW: Egress Route or Storage Space?
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos come with a challenge...if you saw this situation, reported it to the facility manager, and the facility manager asked for proof of why it's unacceptable, what code paragraph would you show him?
Door Problems…
I think there really are a thousand ways to screw up a door, but it's not every day you see a cartoon on the subject. Jim Phillips of SBS Associates sent me this oldie that he found in a file. Anyone know where it originated?
QQ: Can panic hardware be installed on a door that doesn’t lead to an exit?
In almost all cases, panic hardware is used on doors which are in the path of egress that eventually leads to the exit discharge. But - is it acceptable to install panic hardware on inswinging doors?
FF: Shifting Gears
I've shared lots of photos from my travels over the years...in fact, I went on a quick road trip this week and will have some photos to post soon. In the meantime, check out today's Fixed-it Friday photos from Mongolia...
Egress Requirements for Door Openings
I'm working on one more whiteboard animation video for this year, and I'd love some feedback! What are the basic egress requirements for door openings?
WW: Screwed
I am going to remain Wordless about these photos, except to say THANK YOU to Brett Africk of CBORD, who not only sent me a batch of photos of an opening he saw during a recent hotel stay, but also went BACK...
Is this an urban legend?
This question has come up yet again...Is it true that people can exit more quickly through a pair of doors with a mullion than through a pair without a mullion?
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?
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.