FF: Paniquito
Jim Billings sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, which was posted in a Facebook group with a comment that it was found in a postal facility. Any theories about what happened here?
Murals on Egress Doors in Health Care Occupancies
Beginning with the 2015 edition of NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code, a section was added that allows doors in some types of health care units to be disguised with murals. This updated post includes a clarification from the 2021 edition of the code.
WW: Lockstar?? :)
Why is this a Wordless Wednesday post? Because I am flattered to the point of wordlessness by the article that the Yankee Security Convention shared about me. An "industry icon and lockstar"?? Just one of many!! :D
Follow-Up: Locked Stairwell Doors
Last week I answered a quick question about locking stairwell doors, and Jim Elder of Secured Design raised a great point in a comment on the post. Here is a follow-up related to the release of locked stairwell doors upon fire alarm activation.
Allegion 101: Protect the Door – Ives, Zero, and More
Many years ago, I worked with an architectural firm that always had me write the hardware specifications for their projects. On one small job they had a tight deadline, so they edited some hardware sets from another spec...
FF: Delayed Action Closer
For today's Fixed-it Friday photo, I am updating an old post from almost 10 years ago. This week I have received several questions about holding open and locking doors in schools. Could delayed action closers be a good solution?
QQ: Locked Stairwell Doors
Several people have asked the same Quick Question this week: Is it permissible by code for stairwell doors in schools to be locked during a lockdown? The answer is in today's post.
Safe and Sound Schools: Supporting Schools and Communities
The mission of Safe and Sound Schools is to support school crisis prevention, response, and recovery, and to protect every school and every student, every day. Download their free toolkits linked in today's post.
PASS Guidelines Version 6 Now Available
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has published the 6th edition of their Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools. These guidelines include a comprehensive list of best practices, and can be downloaded for free from the PASS website.
Allegion 101: Control the Door – LCN
The Allegion 101 training series was designed for people who are new to the industry, new to the Allegion family of brands, or just want to learn more about hardware. The video in today's post addresses the basics of door closers.
FF: “Proper Coordination Creating Great Design”
Credit for the post title - and for today's Fixed-it Friday photo - goes to Tyler Michieli of Alan Ford Architects. It's so rare to see doors where such careful coordination is apparent...maybe the whole point is for us not to notice the doors at all.
1982: Westchase Hilton Hotel Fire
As I have said many times before, we have a responsibility to learn from past fires and other tragedies where door openings played a role. This month is the anniversary of a fire at the Westchase Hilton Hotel in Houston, Texas, where 12 people lost their lives.
WW: Limbo Lower Now
These Wordless Wednesday photos show a restaurant's patio exit...a great reminder that when we're specifying and selecting doors and hardware we need to try to anticipate how the openings will be used in the future.
Decoded: Current Requirements of the I-Codes for Classroom Door Locks
As I mentioned last month, my Decoded column has a new question-and-answer format. This month's question: "How do the changes made to the 2018 and 2021 I-Codes affect the requirements for locks installed on classroom doors?"
STANLEY Access to Know-How: Sensor Monitoring
Yesterday, March 19th was National Automatic Door Day! To commemorate this annual observance, the video in today's post addresses a change that I've received some questions about lately...the ANSI/BHMA requirements for monitored safety sensors.
FF: WWYD?
I received these Fixed-it Friday photos from Steve Quinn of The Flying Locksmiths. This panic hardware is installed on some service doors in a mall, and clearly they have seen a lot of cart traffic and the resulting damage. WWYD?
Allegion 101: Secure the Door – Von Duprin
The Allegion 101 training series was designed for people who are new to the industry, new to the Allegion family of brands, or just want to learn more about hardware. The video in today's post addresses the basics of panic hardware.
WW: Fire Door
I'm going to put this Wordless Wednesday photo from Lee Frazier of Allegion in my special collection of photos to look at when I need a good cry. It was taken in a university. :(
Back-2-Basics: Panic Hardware
Here's an updated version of an in-depth summary of the code requirements and selection criteria for panic hardware. Feel free to share it with anyone who needs to get back-2-basics on panic hardware and fire exit hardware.
QQ: Accessibility for Pairs or Banks of Doors
This is a great Quick Question, and I got some help from the US Access Board with the answer: When there is a pair of doors or a bank of doors, do ALL leaves have to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)?
FF: Dogging Alternative
This Fixed-it Friday photo leaves me with some questions because it doesn't look like a location that would typically require a fire door, BUT - the wired glass (and the creative dogging method) kind of hints at a possible fire rating. What do you think? Any theories?
Allegion 101: Secure the Door – Intro to Schlage Cylinders, Keys, and Key Systems
The Allegion 101 training series was designed for people who are new to the industry, new to the Allegion family of brands, or just want to learn more about hardware. The video in today's post is an introduction to Schlage cylinders, keys, and key systems.
IFSJ: Women in Fire Sciences and Fire Safety Engineering
On International Women's Day 2023, I am so honored and grateful to be included in an article published in International Fire and Safety Journal (IFSJ), highlighting seven women working in the fire sciences and fire safety engineering fields.
WWYD? Painted Fire Door Assembly Labels
Unless specifically exempt from the labeling requirements, each component of a fire door assembly must be labeled to show that it is acceptable for that purpose. Is the fire door label in this photo compliant with NFPA 80? WWYD?
QQ: Fire Alarm Release of Electrified Locks
I have written about this topic from various angles, but this Quick Question keeps coming up: Is it code-compliant to have an electrified lock that is normally locked on the egress side, if it unlocks automatically upon fire alarm activation?
FF: Broken Key Fix
Avi Schenk of BY Locks and Keys LLC sent me these Fixed-it Friday photos of the damage to a Schlage deadbolt caused by students trying to remove a broken key that was stuck in the lock. Note: This is not the recommended fix for broken key problems.
WW: Another Retail Exit
I saw today's Wordless Wednesday photos posted on the Locksmith Nation Facebook page, and Merlin Bechtel of Merlin Lock & Safe gave me permission to share them here. I'm still amazed at the condition of so many retail exits.
Decoded: Sensors for Automatic Operators
This Decoded column, which will be published in the April issue of Door Security + Safety Magazine, is the first in a new question-and-answer format. In the past 13 years I’ve covered just about every code-related topic that applies to openings, so it's time for a new approach.
Coming Up: March Training
In March we will offer an AIA approved webinar and two Webinar Wednesday sessions. These are great opportunities for continuing your education without leaving your desk!
FF: Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle
As I walked the streets of Havana last week, I saw so many examples of doors (and everything else) that had been reused, repurposed, or recycled. I took hundreds of photos and I'm sharing them in today's Fixed-it Friday post.
iDigHardware is 14 Today!
I was teaching a class recently and someone asked, "So Lori, Did you choose the code life or did the code life choose you?" When I started learning about the codes that affect doors and hardware, I had no master plan...
WW: Havana Nights
In Monday's post I mentioned a Havana nightclub's egress situation, and promised to share a few Wordless Wednesday photos. As you can see from today's post, the code requirements for egress are a bit different from what we are used to.
Las Puertas de La Habana
It might seem like I'm always going on exotic vacations, but last week when I went to Havana, Cuba, for a friend's wedding was the first time I have gone on a trip without my computer since 2009! That's because 14 years ago I started iDigHardware.com...
20 Years Ago: Station Nightclub Fire
Last week I visited an art and music space housed in an old cooking oil factory in Havana, Cuba. There were spaces that I would not enter, knowing what I know about nightclub fires. Today is the 20th anniversary of one of those fires - at the Station Nightclub.
FF: Door Stoppers
I've said it before and I'll say it again...the desire for convenience is the greatest threat to security. I need to put that on a t-shirt. Thank you to Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion for sending today's Fixed-it Friday photos, taken at a university.
Allegion 101: Secure the Door – Schlage
The Allegion 101 training series was designed for people who are new to the industry, new to the Allegion family of brands, or just want to learn more about hardware. The video in today's post covers the various types of Schlage products used to secure a door.
WW: Happy Trees and a Bubbling Brook
I love receiving photos from AHJs...today's Wordless Wednesday photos were sent by Dave Cox, a fire marshal in Minnesota. Of course the mural, signage, and deadbolt caught my eye, but I also wonder what's going on with that light switch. Theories?
Locksmith Ledger: Five Code Considerations for Multifamily Residential Buildings
Many doors have to meet multiple sets of code requirements, for code-compliant egress, fire protection, and accessibility. There are dozens of applicable mandates that apply to door openings in a multifamily residential building; here are five to consider...
QQ: Special Locking Arrangements
Today's Quick Question came from an AHJ: When I am evaluating a door that is equipped with a special locking arrangement, do the model code requirements for normal locking arrangements also apply?
FF: Nothing to See Here
Logan Piburn of Dyron Murphy Architects sent today's Fixed-it Friday photos of an egress door modification. I can see a few problems here...how about you?
Allegion 101: Hang the Door – Ives
The Allegion 101 training series was designed for people who are new to the industry, new to the Allegion family of brands, or just want to learn more about hardware. The video in today's post covers the various types of Ives products used to hang a door.
WCVB: Fire Prompts Evacuations at Hospital
Yesterday morning, a 10-alarm fire occurred at Brockton Hospital, a 216-bed health care facility in Massachusetts. The fire reportedly began in the main transformer room of the hospital, and approximately 160 patients were evacuated. More in today's post...
QQ: Places of Detention or Restraint
When there is a desire to lock a door in the direction of egress for security reasons, today's Quick Question is often raised: During a lockdown, is a room or area considered a place of detention and restraint?
February Training
This month's Webinar Wednesday is all about hollow metal, with two classes offered by Leon Starks. If you haven't attended one of Leon's trainings, he's a fantastic teacher with a passion for hollow metal doors and frames!
FF: LCN COMPACT Operator Accommodation
Greg Thomson of Allegion shared today's Fixed-it Friday photo of an accommodation made in the field for an LCN 6400 COMPACT series automatic operator. I wonder at what point during the installation the problem was discovered.
Decoded: Approved Changes and Clarifications to the 2024 International Building Code
My latest Decoded article, published in the January/February issue of Door Security + Safety, addresses upcoming changes to the 2024 I-Codes. I covered additional changes affecting electrified hardware in a previous article.
WW: Church Basement Exit
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photo from Christin Kinman of Allegion...it's a door serving a youth program space in a church basement. After growing up with me as their mom, I wonder if my kids would bring this door up with the group leader.
Follow-Up: Closing Speed for Spring Hinges
Last week's Quick Question was about spring hinges on fire doors larger than 3'-0" x 7'-0", and the post raised a couple of other questions. One was related to the maximum closing speed for doors on an accessible route.
Decoded: Code Resources and Training Available On-Demand
As the theme of the March issue of Door Security + Safety is talent and workforce development, my next Decoded column includes some of the code-related resources that I have shared here on iDigHardware.com.
FF: I wonder how long this “fix” will last…
When Stan Hubbell posted these Fixed-it Friday photos in the "There's no crying in Hollow Metal" Facebook group, I knew I had to share them (with permission). How would you handle this installation properly?