Decoded: Closers on Classroom Doors (April 2011)
This post was printed in the April 2011 issue of Doors & Hardware
RU@ISC?
I got this text message this morning, and alas, I'm not at the ISC West show in Las Vegas. If you're not at the show either, you can still visit the Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies booth there.
An Army of Minions
Since I started this blog I've often thought how great it would be if JQP (John Q Public) knew the basic requirements of fire and egress doors. What if everyone who saw a locked egress door or a propped-open fire door had a way to change the situation? Imagine the effect this could have on life safety! In my imaginary world, I think of these informed people as door minions, except instead of serving an evil SuperVillian, they're helping to save the world. OK, it might be a stretch, but I saw this article the other day, giving me hope that there ARE door minions out there...
Now you’re really in trouble.
I love photography and I've always wanted to learn how to use all the fancy buttons and dials on my camera. My "big" camera (a Canon T1i) takes great photos but I knew it could do so much more if I only knew what all those settings meant. Well, today I finally took a class. Yeah! It was an hour of buttons and dials followed by a field trip around the neighborhood looking for interesting subjects. It wasn't a great area for interesting doors but I found a few...and you can expect a LOT more photo-safari posts now that I've graduated from DSLR-1. Just wait until DSLR-2!
ICC Staff Opinion on FDAI
I know there have been a lot of posts this week and hopefully my subscribers aren't getting sick of the email notifications, but I've got a couple of really important things to post so bear with me. I can take next week off if you're sick of me. :-)
Square Edge vs. Beveled Edge
I was reading an article about blogging in Inc. the other day, and one paragraph really resonated with me:
WW: Vertical(?) Rods
Thank goodness it's Wordless Wednesday because I have no words for these photos. Well, no words other than - deadbolts aren't allowed on double-egress doors, and UL listed hardware can't be modified. Believe it or not, these exit devices actually work (as long as the deadbolt isn't engaged!).
Woodstock, Ontario Apartment Fire
When I lived in a condominium complex in the mid-90's, I don't think I gave much thought to fire safety. I remember hearing the fire alarm in the middle of the night and going out to my balcony to see if I could smell smoke. If not, it must be a false alarm. That seems CRAZY to me now. Luckily, I lived in a fairly safe building. The stair doors and the cross-corridor doors were never propped open. The unit entry doors had spring hinges so they didn't close as reliably as if they'd had closers, but thankfully we never had a fire while I lived there. Someday when I'm helping my oldest daughter look for her first apartment, you can bet that I won't be as lax about fire safety. I may just zip her up in a flame resistant jumpsuit before I send her off to college. :-)
Shatford Centre Follow-Up
Last week I posted photos of some very old Von Duprin exit devices which were originally installed on the entrance doors to the Shatford Centre in Penticton, British Columbia. I later communicated with the millworker, Plexus Woodworks, who built the new doors, and several people from the Shatford Centre, as well as other blog readers who chimed in with questions and comments. If you know someone who is knowledgeable about antique hardware, please forward this post to them to see what else we can learn about this hardware.
FDAI – New York State
The 2010 Fire Code of New York State requires fire doors to be maintained in accordance with NFPA 80, and references the 2007 edition of that standard (Chapter 45 - Referenced Standards). The 2007 edition of NFPA 80 requires fire door assemblies to be inspected annually as part of the maintenance requirements, so by referencing NFPA 80-2007 for maintenance of fire doors, an annual inspection of these assemblies is required.
FDAI – California
The 2010 California Fire Code requires fire doors to be maintained in accordance with NFPA 80 and smoke doors to be maintained in accordance with NFPA 105. The code references the 2007 editions of NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 (Chapter 47 - Referenced Standards). The 2007 editions of these standards require the door assemblies to be inspected annually as part of the maintenance requirements, so by referencing NFPA 80-2007 and NFPA 105-2007 for maintenance of fire doors and smoke doors, an annual inspection of these assemblies is required.
“When will fire door inspections be required in my jurisdiction?”
In response to my request for a list of FAQs, my colleague and pal Kurt Roeper sent this suggestion. It's definitely a frequently asked question, but the tricky part is coming up with the answer. I'm a big fan of the old adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." That's how I handle all the big tasks I'm faced with, and I think it will work for this one as well.
Help Choose the FAQs
I don't ask for much, right? But I need a little help. I've been posting on this blog for over 2 years and there are more than 400 posts. I know it can sometimes be hard to find the specific post or topic you're looking for. You can search by typing something into the search box, but when I just typed "panic hardware," I got a list of 49 posts that mentioned that term. You can also go to the index and get a list of all the posts for any given category, but those lists can be pretty long too. As an example, the Fire Door category currently has 91 posts.
Evelyn Gardens
I received an article today about a fire at the Evelyn Gardens apartment complex in Albany, California, which resulted in $400,000 in damage and one fatality. In the article, Fire Chief Marc McGinn is quoted several times in regard to apartment entry doors. Here's an excerpt:
Von Duprin at the Shatford Centre
Since we seem to be on an antique doors and hardware run, I thought you'd like to see these oldies but goodies. They were spotted at the Shatford Centre in Penticton, British Columbia. The building was recently renovated and the main entrance doors and hardware were replaced, and the process was chronicled in detail on www.shatfordcentre.com (just search for "doors"). I got in touch with the project manager for the renovation to make sure they didn't throw the hardware away, and she said, "we consider these archival pieces of the building’s history and would never throw them out." She also said that some of the existing panic devices that were not replaced during the renovation are still functioning!
Specific Signage
I visited my favorite law school today, and the signs on this door caught my eye. They're not taking any chances.
Ellis Island
I know some of you will remember "Chip Falcon's Road Trip" from a couple of years ago. For those of you who weren't readers of this blog back then...I usually go on a road trip with my family every summer. In the summer of 2009, I had to take a Falcon 25 series panic device on the road trip so I could show it to a specwriter who had moved to South Carolina. Since I was dragging the panic device (nicknamed Chip Falcon) around, I wrote a series of posts about the various places that we visited on our road trip and wrote about some of the features of the 24/25 series which had just been introduced.
Supermoon
For my subscribers on the west coast...check out the rise of the Supermoon tonight! The rest of you can enjoy the beautiful full moon too, but moonrise in Boston was at 7:16. It was amazing! Yes, I do occasionally take photos of something besides doors.
Even More Reader Photos
Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd. sent me a plethora of photos recently. I think he sent his entire "Creative Closers of Israel" file. :-)
More Reader Photos
Still cleaning out the e-mailbox...
Reader Photos
Holy smokes! I guess I haven't posted reader photos for a while because I have SO MANY piled up in my e-mailbox. I have a really busy week and I'll be traveling to Connecticut to do a fire door inspection, so I won't have a lot of time for those wordy, informative posts you all love so much. :-) Instead, I'll get my e-mailbox cleaned out and post the photos sent in by blog readers. I really need to think of a catchy nickname for fans of this blog - like Trekkies (Star Trek fans) and Gleeks (fans of the TV show Glee). Got any ideas?
Anti-Ligature Levers
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, with over 31,000 people taking their life annually. 1,500 suicides occur annually in hospitals (1); it is also the leading cause of death while incarcerated (2). Ligature strangulation (hanging) is the primary means used to end one’s life in these environments.
Decoded: Manual Flush Bolts
This post was printed in the March 2011 issue of Doors & Hardware
Panic Fail
I tend to notice hardware on TV and movies (just ask my family!), but this video is probably the best (worst) example I've seen of doors gone bad for the sake of TV production. It was sent in by Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd. in Israel. The commercial is in Hebrew but the panic fail transcends the language barrier. Watch closely and stick with it for the whole 66 seconds.
WW: Drill Press
I have TJ Gottwalt to thank for this Wordless Wednesday post. Thanks TJ!
The Door Closer Fairy Was Here
I have to admit, I visit the local frozen yogurt joint so often that the owners ask me if I want "the usual." Hey - it's YOGURT...practically health food! I wasn't sure how I'd be able to make it through their winter break - about 2 months. I survived, but the closer on their entrance door didn't. It lost all of its fluid and started looking for fingers to lop off.
Signage on Fire Doors
Just when I was wondering what I should post about tonight, I received this photo from Brendan Daley of SURV.
WW: Great Wedge of China
This Wordless Wednesday post can't be completely wordless (that's nothing new). These photos were sent to me by my friend and colleague, Kurt Roeper, who is traveling in China at the moment and reports that idighardware/ihatehardware is banned in China. Here's Kurt's note that came along with the photos:
Voodoo Ritual (& Open Fire Door) Results in Fatality
It's tough enough to get anyone to pay attention to fire doors, but when a fire is a result of a "voodoo sex ceremony," there's little to no chance that anyone will take note of the role played by the propped-open fire door. In a 5-alarm fire in Brooklyn on February 20th, the door to the apartment where the fire originated was propped open in an attempt to dissipate the smoke. A window in the apartment was also opened, and heavy winds blew the fire out into the corridor. Other open doors in the corridor allowed the fire to spread and the 7-story building was destroyed.
Ballroom Entrance
The hotel in Las Vegas where we had our sales meeting had a Moroccan theme...I felt right at home since my husband is originally from Morocco and I love that style. The entrance doors to the ballroom had a pattern created by contrasting stain and oversized metal brads. They're labeled doors so I wonder whether the brads were considered plant-ons or whether they required any special testing or approval.
What’s wrong with this picture?
It's been a long time since I've posted one of these "quiz" photos but I want to see if you've been paying attention. This pair is at the Hoover Dam...right near the touchpad devices with the carpet modification. So, take a good look and leave a comment telling me what the problem is. I'll hold the correct answers to give everyone a couple days to think about it.
Ahoy There, Me Hardies
It's not every day a pirate tells you that you've been partying too hard. I wish that was my problem. I actually woke up with laryngitis on Wednesday, which really stinks since I was headed out of town for a meeting. I'm feeling much better after a visit to the convenience clinic, but I still can't talk very well. I'm sure some of my compañeros are happy about that.
Frankly, I’m Disappointed
We saw this building from the highway on our way to Red Rock Canyon and it wasn't hard to track it down and get the address. It was designed by Frank Gehry, and it's a brain and cognitive center for the Cleveland Clinic. I'm no expert on brain-related stuff, but I think if I was going to my brain doctor's office this building might freak me out a bit.
Carpet (Touch)Pad
I'm in Las Vegas for a meeting that starts in a couple of days, and I'm pretty sure I could find enough cool and creative doors here to last me for a few months. Today we visited Red Rock Canyon (not a lot of doors there), the Hoover Dam (more doors there than you'd think), and a weirdly beautiful building by Frank Gehry. Since I'm blogging from an iPad which is not that easy, I'll post some quick photos and save the longer posts for when I get home next week.
Love Padlocks
Who says hardware can't be romantic?! In honor of Valentines Day, I present to you a tradition that began in the 1980s in Pécs, Hungary (or maybe in Italy depending on which version of the story you believe), and has spread to cities across the globe. It seems that sweethearts are attaching padlocks to bridges, statues, fences, and other structures to express their love. My pragmatic side wonders whether the structures can handle the extra weight of this quantity of padlocks, and whether people go back and take their padlock off when they break up, but since it's Valentines Day I'll just let you all feel the love.
No Wedging Allowed
The suit was in regard to the breach of security caused by wedging open the fire door, but I thought this was kind of interesting:
More Doors After Fires
Judging from the photos, these doors may not have been code-compliant, but they were still able to hinder the spread of smoke and fire, at least to some extent. That does not mean that any old non-compliant door will be fine so we might as well stop worrying about them...one of the biggest issues with fire doors is finding them propped open with a wedge or a more creative device. If the doors are open, they're worthless.
Hospital Stops
Every so often, I wonder what I'm going to write about on this blog after I've covered all of the code requirements for doors and hardware. I mean, it's a very specific subject area so at some point I could run out of questions. And then something comes up that I've never looked into, and I stop wondering. There will always be more questions. If hardware was easy, it would be called "easyware," right? :-)
Decoded: Single Operation Egress
This post was printed in the February 2011 issue of Doors and Hardware
Theater Egress
Today I went to a performance at a theater on a local college campus. The theater has 650 seats, so all of the required egress doors are supposed to have panic hardware. There are 4 pairs in the main lobby, all equipped with paddle devices which don't qualify as panic hardware. One of the requirements for panic hardware is that the actuating portion has to cover at least half the width of the door, and these paddles clearly do not.
Reader Photos
I received a giant batch of photos today from a deputy fire marshal, and I could barely wait to post them. Whenever I get photos or comments from code officials I feel like the nerdy kid who got to sit with the cool kids at lunch one day. :-)