Lori Greene

About Lori Greene

Lori is the Manager, Codes and Resources for Allegion, and the creator of iDigHardware. With more than 35 years of experience in the door and hardware industry, in her current role she focuses exclusively on the code requirements that apply to door openings.

Patient Room Doors

I don't know where this week went.  I feel like I blacked out for a few days.  On top of my usual load, I had 3 classes to teach within a couple of weeks - Code Jeopardy for the Massachusetts Locksmith Association, Fire Door Inspection for the Yankee Security Conference, and a Code Update for the DHI Conference in NYC.  I had a lot of preparation to do because I hadn't taught these exact classes before, and I tend to spend a lot of time preparing so I'm less likely to pass out from fear on the big day.  Anyway...this week has been rough but I'm getting there.  I'm really looking forward to heading to NYC next Wednesday!

By |2014-02-27T10:40:22-05:00October 21st, 2011|Smoke|9 Comments
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WW: The Greatest Step is Out the Door

I'm getting ready to teach a code class for the Massachusetts Locksmiths Association (anybody want to play Code Jeopardy??) so I don't have a lot of time to post tonight, but thanks to Bob Borson (Life of an Architect), Ginny Powell (A Cracked Door) and Martin Badke (Laux Myth...Thoughts From a Locksmith), I ran across a site mentioned on Twitter that will keep all of you door lovers entertained for most of the day.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:04-05:00October 12th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Wordless Wednesday|0 Comments
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Oldies But Goodies

Within one week I received two requests for help regarding old Von Duprin panic devices.  I know that somebody out there has a dusty old file cabinet with information on these products.  Ideally, we'd like to find exploded parts diagrams, installation instructions, or any other relevant information.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

By |2012-01-27T21:57:04-05:00October 10th, 2011|Panic Hardware|3 Comments
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Closers for Arched Doors

You don't see a whole lot of arched doors on new construction these days, but I think we probably have more than our fair share of beautiful old arched doors in the Northeast.  Over the years I've had quite a few calls about how to retrofit new hardware onto existing arched doors, and the trickiest part is the closer.  A floor closer would work well, but it's often difficult or impossible to install a floor closer on an existing door because of the required floor preparation.

By |2013-09-29T19:28:49-04:00October 3rd, 2011|Door Closers|16 Comments
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Goin’ Mo-Bile!

Have you ever had a few minutes to spare between meetings or while waiting for someone, and you wondered what was going on over at iDigHardware?  Well, now you can find out!  If you log into the site from your iPhone, Android, or iPad, you will be automatically directed to the new mobile version of iDigHardware.  You can check out recent posts, access some of the more popular areas of the site, or search for the post that will make you a hero when you whip out the information someone is desperately looking for.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:05-05:00September 26th, 2011|General Info|8 Comments
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“¿Donde estan los churros?”

This weekend I left my computer at home (yes, really!) and headed to Cape Cod for my brother's wedding.  The wedding was held in North Truro, and the kids had heard me say several times that we were going to "Truro."  Well, my kids go to a bilingual school and are fluent in Spanish.  All along they thought we were going to "Churro," and expected to see a slew of the cinnamon-sugary donut-stick type pastries on arrival.  The disappointment didn't stop there - we didn't see any sandwiches in Sandwich, and luckily - no obvious pee in P-Town (the common nickname for Provincetown, Massachusetts).

By |2017-01-04T21:43:47-05:00September 25th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Means of Egress, Road Trips|2 Comments
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What If?

Have you ever run into one of those doors that needs access control, but for whatever reason it's almost impossible to get the wires to the lock?  Maybe it's an existing door (especially if it's fire rated), or an opening set into stone or a fancy surround like the door on the left.  It might be a situation where the wiring would have to be run in surface-mounted conduit, or where drilling into the walls or ceiling would create too much dust or would interrupt a busy workspace.  In a health care facility, there are specific procedures that must be followed to protect the air quality for patients and staff.  An exterior gate or remote door would also be a tough access control installation if the product is hard-wired.

By |2019-02-10T20:15:47-05:00September 22nd, 2011|Electrified Hardware, Locks & Keys|2 Comments
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Shiloh Baptist Church Panic, Birmingham Alabama

On this day in history, September 19th, 1902, a stampede at the Shiloh Baptist Church resulted in the deaths of 120 people.  The church was clearly over occupant load capacity with thousands packed in to hear Booker T Washington speak, but I wonder about the available exits.  Did the occupants rush the entrance door because that was the one they were familiar with?  Were other exits marked and operable?

By |2012-01-27T21:57:05-05:00September 19th, 2011|Means of Egress|0 Comments
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Big 5

Last month I told you that I would be drawing 5 names from my list of connections and subscribers in honor of my 500th post, to win their choice of prizes (an LCN 4040XP closer, a Schlage CO lock, a Schlage residential keypad lock, or a $50 Amazon gift card).  Yesterday was my daughter Norah's 5th birthday, and she chose the 5 winners at random.

By |2023-03-15T13:17:00-04:00September 16th, 2011|General Info|9 Comments
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9/11

I can't believe it has been 10 years already.  I've seen a lot of remembrances in the media this week...it's one of those moments in time when we'll never forget where we were, what we were doing, who we were with, how we felt.  I was about 6 weeks away from having my first child, and I first saw the television coverage at the midwife's office.  They had turned off the TV in the waiting room, but had it on in an inner office...I guess it was best to keep the pack of pregnant ladies calm and deal with our anxiety one-on-one.

By |2016-05-18T09:23:35-04:00September 11th, 2011|Fire Doors, Means of Egress|1 Comment
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Mr. Fix-It

It was a slow day for doors...this is the only door of interest that I saw, and it was the door to Zeke's shed.  It's the door equivalent of "the cobbler's children have no shoes."  It looks good from the outside, but the inside could qualify for a submission to ThereIFixedIt.com.  :-)

By |2012-01-27T21:57:05-05:00September 8th, 2011|Doors Gone Wrong|0 Comments
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WW: No Exit

These are the photos that I referred to in my post about Imperial Foods and the locked/blocked exits there.  These photos were taken last week, illustrating that there's still work to be done in awareness of egress requirements.  This is a 7-story office building, and one of the two exits was closed off because of construction on the decking outside the door.  The photos were sent to me by Peter Jordan of Jordan Consultants.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:05-05:00September 7th, 2011|Means of Egress, Wordless Wednesday|1 Comment
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Imperial Foods Fire, Hamlet NC

Twenty years ago today, a fast-moving fire at the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant killed 25 and injured 54 of the 90 workers in the plant.  Although I think egress conditions and awareness have improved in the last 20 years, there's definitely room for continued improvement.  I frequently receive photos of appalling egress and fire door modifications, including some photos that I received this week of an office building exit that was blocked for construction, leaving only one exit for a 7-story office building.  I'll post those photos here soon.

By |2021-09-08T23:13:57-04:00September 3rd, 2011|Means of Egress|4 Comments
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Back-2-Basics: Hinge Types and Applications

This afternoon I had an appointment for acupuncture, and as I was drifting off into a needle-induced temporary coma (if you haven't tried it, you should!) I was thinking about what I should post for Friday.  Then I thought about how it seemed like such a short time between my Wordless Wednesday post and planning for Friday's post, and in a sudden epiphany I realized that I had posted the WW post today!  I DO know what day it is, and I did write the WW post on Wednesday, but I must have had a senior moment.  I went back and changed the date so nobody who visits that post in the future will realize that I messed up.  To all of the loyal readers out there, THANK YOU for not saying, "You dummy, it's Thirsty Thursday not Wordless Wednesday!"  :-)

By |2022-10-10T17:35:29-04:00September 1st, 2011|Back-2-Basics, Hinges & Pivots|24 Comments
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WW: Doubly-Safe? Or Double-Trouble?

Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was sent in by David Sochaczevski, an architect with the Soltron Group in Montreal.  David saw this door near the Stitch ride in Disney's Magic Kingdom.  At first glance this application clearly looks like a code problem, but I just couldn't imagine Disney purposely installing hardware that would require two motions to exit.  I asked Disney about it but I was told that any information about this door was proprietary.  I asked the local fire marshal and received this reply:  "Thank you for bringing this safety concern to our department.  The configuration in the picture you provided is not as it appears and the door does function according to code requiring only one motion to open the door."

By |2013-02-09T00:01:27-05:00August 31st, 2011|Means of Egress, Panic Hardware, Wordless Wednesday|15 Comments
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Back to School!

Call me crazy, but this is one of my favorite days of the year - the first day of school.  The summer is just too chaotic for me, with kids going every which way to various camps and activities - I need more structure in my life!  So needless to say, I'm a happy camper today.  I'm even happier because it was announced yesterday that this blog, my 4th baby, won the Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies President's Award in the Leadership category.  WOOHOO!  Thanks to all of you for visiting regularly and interacting with me.  That's what blogging and social media are all about!

By |2012-01-27T21:57:06-05:00August 30th, 2011|Door Closers|10 Comments
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WWYD? – Police Station

One of my favorite job-related activities is going into a facility and helping with their hardware problems.  This week I was called into a police station to look at a door that had allowed several escapes, as well as the main entrance.  I thought it would be fun to see what you all would recommend in these situations.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:28-05:00August 25th, 2011|Electrified Hardware, Means of Egress, Panic Hardware, WWYD?|5 Comments
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Open Back Strikes

A couple of weeks ago one of my coworkers, Rich Conroy, took a phone call from someone with questions about open back strikes.  Rich asked me to write a post that he could refer people to, and the hold-up was that I had to find a photo.  Not the photo you see in a catalog (right), which usually shows the strike alone, but a photo of an open back strike in action.  Try looking for one on Google Images and you'll find a few graphics of the strike by itself, some open backed shoes, and plenty of open backed dresses, but no open back strikes in action.

By |2016-02-24T01:52:30-05:00August 11th, 2011|Locks & Keys, Panic Hardware|7 Comments
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New York, New York!

I just got final confirmation that Zeke Wolfskehl and I will be teaching a code class for architects at the 36th annual DHI Conference in New York City!  Prior to the adoption of the 2008 NYC Construction Code, the NYC Building Code was almost as old as me(!), so we're thinking it's a good time to make sure everyone is up to date on the current requirements related to doors and hardware.  We'll talk about the 2003 edition of the International Building Code and what has changed in the more recent editions, as well as variations in the Life Safety Code and the New York City and New York State codes.

By |2014-10-08T09:05:12-04:00August 11th, 2011|General Info|2 Comments
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Happy 500!

I've been thinking about this post for 2 weeks, and I'm stumped. It's my 500th post on this blog. It seems like 500 posts should warrant some sort of fanfare...maybe a cake?! (in our office we use any excuse to have cake). I've been trying to think of a tie-in to 500 somethings, a related photo I could include, but the pressure has clouded my brain.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00August 8th, 2011|General Info|9 Comments
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Today’s the big day!

A couple of weeks ago I told you about the significance of August 1st - it's my birthday (big deal), and also the day that the features of the LCN 4040XP are incorporated into the standard 4040 closer (BIG DEAL!).  Every 4040 closer ordered from today forward will be shipped as a 4040XP - with the larger and stronger pinion, bigger bearings, and stronger teeth geometry.  If you have questions about the changes, check out this FAQ document.

By |2015-11-11T10:33:12-05:00August 1st, 2011|Door Closers, Videos|18 Comments
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Classroom Security Locks

As of July 1st, 2011, a revised California law (AB 211, Article 8.5) requires classrooms and rooms with an occupant load of more than 5 people to be equipped with classroom security locks.*  This pertains to all new construction projects submitted to the Division of the State Architect, which oversees K-12 schools and community colleges in the state of California.

By |2018-09-16T15:01:08-04:00July 28th, 2011|Locks & Keys|6 Comments
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INNadequate Closer (& More!)

I spent last weekend in Stowe, Vermont with one of my BFFs and we stayed at an "inn," which seems to mean bigger than a bed and breakfast but not as modern as a hotel.  As my friend said, "I got the keys...they're real keys - how quaint!"  I won't get into how the lock on our room had to be unlocked with the thumbturn before you could turn the knob for egress, but I will share the completely inadequate mini-closer on the exterior door adjacent to our room.  The door never closed and latched, and the kitchen staff hung out on the landing smoking butts (not the hinge kind).  Good thing we had the high-security privacy chain on our room door.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00July 26th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Door Closers, Doors & Frames|5 Comments
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Knockoffs

Picture this. You wait by the mailbox for your brand spanking new iPad 2 to arrive. You carefully open the box and breathe in the intoxicating scent of Apple, then plug in the cable, sync your iPad with your iTunes account, and settle back to watch a movie. A few minutes into Despicable Me, the screen goes black. AAHH!!! You pack up your iPad, take it to the Apple store, and find out that it's not an Apple iPad after all - it's a KNOCKOFF!!!

By |2016-09-11T22:42:01-04:00July 22nd, 2011|Door Closers|7 Comments
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Social Media Roundup

Over the last year, I've really started to understand the valuable communication tool that social media has become.  Every time I write a blog post, a notification of the post is immediately seen by at least 1500 people.  If any of those connections comments, tweets, or "likes" the post, it is then shared with their network of connections.  One of my recent tweets was retweeted to over 4,000 people - not a big deal in comparison to celebrity twitterers, but we're talking about doors here!

By |2016-10-23T20:17:19-04:00July 21st, 2011|General Info|4 Comments
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Closing Speed & Delayed Action

Back in the early 90's when the ADA was the newest focus of the door and hardware industry, delayed action closers were often specified and installed due to the assumption that they were required by the accessibility standards.  Delayed action is a feature available on many door closers, which delays the closing cycle for up to a minute (or more depending on the manufacturer) from the maximum degree of opening to approximately 70 degrees.  The delay is controlled by an additional valve which slows the flow of fluid for that initial period in the closing cycle.  This feature can be helpful in some applications, but it is not required by code.  The other segments of the closing cycle, the main speed and the latch speed, are also controlled by valves (see diagram below).

By |2014-11-03T15:07:01-05:00July 19th, 2011|Accessibility, Door Closers|0 Comments
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Seaside Hotel, Tel Aviv

This is a very unusual door - stone clad and an exterior opening only about 100 feet from the ocean.  The door and panic hardware were installed by Entry Systems Ltd., the stone, mag-lock, and wood surround were added by someone else.  The photos were sent to me by Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd., in Israel (Thanks Eyal!).  If you have any questions about this opening, just leave them in the comments section and I'm sure Eyal will be happy to fill us in.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00July 15th, 2011|Electrified Hardware, Panic Hardware|3 Comments
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