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.

Retrofit Dogging

I've spent several phone calls this week discussing "dogging" with one of my favorite clients.  I guess it is kind of hard to keep straight if you're not a hardware person.  The term "dogging" refers to holding the latch(es) of a panic device retracted to create a push/pull function.  When the panic device is dogged, it is unlocked/unlatched and you can just pull on the door to open it.  When the panic device is not dogged, it is latched and you need an active trim (like a lever) or a key to retract the latch(es) and open the door.  In either case, free egress is achieved at any time by pushing on the touchpad or crossbar of the panic device.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:03-05:00June 3rd, 2009|Fire Doors, Funky Applications, Panic Hardware, Reader Photos|1 Comment
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Combustible Floor Coverings

I love it when I'm able to solve one of life's great mysteries.  Today I was asked whether a 90-minute fire rated door required a threshold.  The short answer is "no" but my coworker Greg chimed in to ask about fire rated openings with combustible floor covering running through.  There's a paragraph in NFPA 80 that I've wondered about in the past (for about 5 seconds), which says that combustible floor coverings can extend under doors that are rated up to 90 minutes as long as the minimum critical radiant flux is .22 W/cm2.  What that means, I have no clue, although Zeke tried to put it in terms of a lightbulb for me one time.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:03-05:00June 2nd, 2009|Fire Doors|0 Comments
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Doors Gone Wrong

This is one of those openings that makes me cringe...yuck!  But I can't let a teachable moment go by.  Yesterday I got a call from an architect who asked whether it was acceptable to put a panic device on one leaf of a pair when only that leaf is required for egress width.  The codes aren't 100% clear on this, but I have had code officials require panics on both leaves of a pair even if only one leaf is required for egress.  You also need to consider the alternative to using panics on both leaves...a panic on one leaf and auto flush bolts on the other.  This application also requires a coordinator and overall it's a problematic application.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:03-05:00June 1st, 2009|Doors Gone Wrong, Panic Hardware|0 Comments
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Throughout

1008.1.8.6 Delayed egress locks. Approved, listed, delayed egress locks shall be permitted to be installed on doors serving any occupancy except Group A, E and H occupancies in buildings that are equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or an approved automatic smoke or heat detection system installed in accordance with Section 907...

By |2013-04-03T15:15:37-04:00May 28th, 2009|General Info|0 Comments
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Double Egress Pairs

Last week someone called me with a "quick question" about a double egress pair in a hospital.  The hospital wanted to install shear locks on a pair of double egress doors, to use during emergency lock-downs.  Unfortunately, as some of you have figured out by now, I don't usually have a quick answer.  There are actually two issues here:

By |2016-06-23T21:32:04-04:00May 26th, 2009|Electrified Hardware|4 Comments
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Door Pulls

Almost every week someone asks me about the clearance behind door pulls.  Many manufacturers' catalogs show certain pulls with a symbol indicating that they are accessible, and other pulls without the symbol.  About 10 years ago I called the Department of Justice (ADA), the International Code Council (CABO back then), and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (521 CMR) to get the real scoop.  All 3 agencies told me that there was no specific dimension required for clearance behind a door pull.  I was recently asked this question about a cabinet pull, so I made all 3 calls again to make sure I wasn't missing something.  I was again told that you need to be able to slide a flat hand behind the door pull, and to open the door without gripping the pull.  During both research projects I asked about a closed fist and was told that the clearance was not required to be large enough for a closed fist.

By |2014-04-22T12:55:47-04:00May 18th, 2009|Accessibility, Push/Pull|6 Comments
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Hinge Fillers

What you're looking at is an existing fire rated frame with a new door that I saw recently during a fire door inspection.  Most of the other doors that I inspected that day had steel hinge fillers to fill the existing hinge preps before the continuous hinges were installed.  So why were a half-dozen or so filled with expandable foam insulation?  Hmm...it's a mystery.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:38-05:00May 1st, 2009|FDAI, Fire Doors, Hinges & Pivots|0 Comments
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Reed Construction Data

There's a great resource for code information on the Reed Construction Data site.  It includes information for all 50 states, major cities, and some counties, and lists contact information for many of the AHJs in each jurisdiction.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:38-05:00April 28th, 2009|General Info|0 Comments
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Fail Safe Locks

I didn't want to scare anyone by adding more information to my previous post about stairwell re-entry, but I do get questions about how to accomplish this.  The stairwell re-entry requirements state that the stair side lever must unlock on fire alarm or on a signal from the fire command station depending on the code (there is always free egress from the non-stair side).  I have seen stair doors that had been retrofitted with card readers and electric strikes.  If these doors are required by code to meet the stairwell re-entry requirements, an electric strike is not an acceptable way to do this.

By |2014-04-26T19:26:55-04:00April 24th, 2009|Electrified Hardware, Locks & Keys, Means of Egress|0 Comments
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Pocket Doors

Personally, I think architects like pocket doors way too much but that's the cool thing about a blog...I get to tell everyone what I think.  ;-)  If you decide to use a pocket door on an opening that is required to be accessible, here's what you need to know:

By |2012-01-27T22:10:38-05:00April 21st, 2009|Accessibility|10 Comments
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Fire Door Clearance

The 2007 edition of NFPA 80 contains an important change regarding the clearance at the bottom of a fire rated door.  In previous editions of this standard, there was a somewhat confusing table (Table 1-11.4) listing different allowable clearance dimensions depending on the flooring material.  The 2007 edition simplifies this requirement, allowing 3/4" clearance under the bottom of the door regardless of the flooring.  The only exception is when the bottom of the door is more than 38" above the floor, ie. dutch doors and counter shutters.

By |2017-10-06T11:25:45-04:00April 20th, 2009|Fire Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds|12 Comments
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Roof Doors

The locking requirements for roof doors are a bit of a gray area, due to the varied preferences of local code officials. In most cases, the roof door can be locked on the interior side, preventing access to the roof. It is very rare (except in movies) that the egress plan for the building includes going to the roof for helicopter access. If the roof was part of the egress path, the roof would have to be maintained as an egress route, snow removed, etc.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:39-05:00April 13th, 2009|Locks & Keys, Means of Egress|5 Comments
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Hardware Consulting FAQs

When my daughter was in preschool, she told her class that when she grew up she wanted to be a "hard work insultant", just like her mom.  After 20+ years of explaining to people what I do, I can't blame her for being a little confused.  In case you've been wondering why anyone would need a hardware consultant, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

By |2017-06-01T09:55:21-04:00April 8th, 2009|General Info|0 Comments
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Dormitory Locks

The hot topic of last week was how to handle locks on dormitory entrance doors, since the students have figured out how to reach under the door with a coat hanger and pull down the lever to unlock the door.  There's a minute+ of bad video below to illustrate the procedure, as reenacted by a couple of college boys.  The video has already been viewed 1,419 times by students who need help with their coat hanger technique, so the problem is bound to get bigger.

By |2014-05-23T22:04:19-04:00April 8th, 2009|Locks & Keys, Means of Egress, Videos|0 Comments
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Protection Plates on Fire Doors

A few years ago, an architect that I've worked with for over 20 years called me and indignantly asked, "Do you know the maximum height for a kick plate on a fire door?!"  I answered that it was 16" above the bottom of the door.  The architect said, "Well!  We tried to write our own hardware spec for a 15-door job.  There were 11 hardware sets and there has been a problem with every set except one, and now there's a problem with THAT set...the kick plate is too high!"  As far as I know, they never tried to write their own hardware spec again.

By |2013-07-11T13:21:47-04:00April 8th, 2009|Fire Doors|27 Comments
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Glass Doors with Electric Strikes

I'm currently working on several projects that have glass doors in walls that are acting as 1-hour fire barriers with closely-spaced sprinkler heads above the glass.  The problem with this application from a hardware standpoint is that the Blumcraft, CR Laurence, and Dorma Glas panic hardware that is typically used on glass doors does not have active trim (like a lever handle) to retract the latch from the secure side.  To unlock these doors, you would typically use the dogging feature of the panic device to leave the doors in a push/pull condition, but because they require positive latching, dogging is not an option.  I have searched the world over for a solution to this problem, but the only possibility I've found so far is using fail secure electric strikes to release the latches.  Unfortunately, this application is extremely noisy, as illustrated by the video below.  If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear from you.

By |2020-12-01T14:39:10-05:00April 2nd, 2009|Glass, Videos|10 Comments
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Blumcraft Center Housing

I am running into more and more all-glass doors on my projects, and in the words of one of the contractors I'm working with, "Doors are being asked to do things they've never done before."  I've had large glass panels pivoting at the center, glass doors acting as opening protectives in fire-rated walls, and glass doors with all types of electrified hardware applications - all with invisible wires, of course.  Given the limited options available for glass door hardware, it's often a real challenge to specify hardware that meets the functional and aesthetic requirements for the project.  On one project I specified Schlage mortise locks installed in Blumcraft center housings and it was a great solution.  The glass door manufacturer had no problem accommodating them, the architect was happy with the way they looked, and I had the full range of lock functions to choose from.

By |2014-05-23T22:04:19-04:00March 27th, 2009|Glass, Panic Hardware|0 Comments
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Max Headroom

Remember him?  I guess I'm dating myself if I admit that I do since he made his debut in the mid- to late-80's, right around the time that Bill Lawliss, John Gant, and I all graduated with degrees in Architecture from Vermont Technical College.  Just think where we could be now if we took those drafting jobs we were offered instead of choosing the glamorous field of door hardware.

By |2013-09-13T00:25:23-04:00March 26th, 2009|Accessibility, Electrified Hardware, Means of Egress|0 Comments
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Continuing Ed

Last week I conducted a 3-hour class for the New England Chapter of the Door & Hardware Institute.  The class is available to any hardware suppliers, architects, or end users in New England who need to understand code requirements related to doors and hardware, including recent changes to the Massachusetts State Building Code, and the 2006 and 2009 editions of the International Building Code and the Life Safety Code.  If you have 12 or more people who are interested in attending, I will conduct the class at your facility or our office in Needham, Massachusetts.  It's worth 3 HSW learning units for AIA members, and 9 continuing education points for DHI members.

By |2014-10-08T09:23:35-04:00March 20th, 2009|General Info, New England Codes|1 Comment
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Bondo

I recently conducted a fire door assembly inspection and I noted that many of the existing frames had old holes that had been patched with Bondo filler putty.  NFPA 80 requires that holes left by the removal of hardware must be filled with steel fasteners or with the same material as the door or frame.  To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a filler putty-type product that has been tested for this use.  If anyone knows of a putty that is acceptable for use on fire-rated doors and frames, I'd love to hear about it.

By |2012-01-27T22:10:40-05:00March 19th, 2009|FDAI, Fire Doors|4 Comments
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Residential Fire Doors

According to the International Residential Code, the door between a private garage and a single family home must provide protection from fire.  The picture to the right is from a fire department website describing how the door between the garage and the home protected the rest of the residence and its occupants.  The door must be a solid wood or solid/honeycomb core steel door, at least 1 3/8" thick, or a door with a 20-minute label.

By |2013-10-29T13:36:13-04:00March 17th, 2009|Fire Doors|0 Comments
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Special Templates

Don't let this happen to you!  If you have an application that can't accommodate a standard closer, LCN has thousands of special templates and engineers standing by to help.  Some of my favorite special templates are the track closer for a door with rescue hardware, closers for arch-top doors, and the templates that move the concealed closer away from the face of the frame so you don't end up with the application in this photo. 

By |2013-12-04T23:50:57-05:00March 6th, 2009|Door Closers|0 Comments
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New Requirements for Nightclubs in Massachusetts

In the Good Old Days when I was a more frequent nightclub visitor, I remember trying to exit through a club's main entrance at closing time and encountering a locked door. The manager had locked the door to prevent more people from coming in. The vestibule was dark, and the dark bronze storefront door had an Adams Rite deadlatch with a dark bronze lever. The lever was completely invisible and people started to gather behind me. If it had been a panic situation there could have been tragic consequences.

By |2012-08-22T08:33:15-04:00March 4th, 2009|Means of Egress, New England Codes, Panic Hardware|2 Comments
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Solution for Unequal Pairs

One of the top 5 questions which I receive almost weekly is regarding the replacement of a 5'-wide equal pair with a 3'+2' unequal pair.  Because automatic flush bolts and a coordinator can be problematic, and most panic hardware will not fit on a 2' wide door, I'm constantly being asked if it's ok to use manual flush bolts on the 2' leaf.  That's a tough question to answer because the code-compliant solution isn't the best application as far as function and durability.  The IBC (2003) says this:

By |2012-07-26T17:56:08-04:00March 4th, 2009|Accessibility, Locks & Keys|2 Comments
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Job-Site Preparation of Fire Doors

This morning a customer asked about using continuous hinges to change the hand of a pair of rated doors (inswing to outswing), in an equal rabbet frame.  I couldn't think of any objections - the existing hinge preps would be filled with steel fillers in compliance with NFPA 80.  The continuous hinges wouldn't require a hole greater than the maximum 1" diameter allowed by NFPA 80.  I checked with Steelcraft to see if our frames need to be reinforced for continuous hinges when used in a rated application, and the answer was no.  So...although the AHJ always has the final say in the matter, I can't think of one reason you can't do this as long as it is an equal rabbet frame.

By |2014-09-19T11:04:50-04:00March 4th, 2009|Fire Doors|3 Comments
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Automatic Operator Actuators

The 2007 edition of ANSI/BHMA A156.19 - American National Standard for Power Assist and Low Energy Power Operated Doors requires low energy operators to be initiated by a "knowing act", which is described as "consciously initiating the powered opening of a low-energy door using acceptable methods, including: wall- or jamb-mounted contact switches such as push plates; fixed non-contact switches; the action of manual opening (pushing or pulling) a door; and controlled access devices such as keypads, card readers, and key switches."

By |2013-04-23T12:05:04-04:00February 24th, 2009|Accessibility, Automatic Operators|1 Comment
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Door Opening Force

Door opening force is the measurement of how many pounds of force are required to open a door.  The requirements for door opening force are found in the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), ICC/ANSI A117.1 Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board requirements (521 CMR).

By |2012-04-09T16:25:37-04:00February 23rd, 2009|Accessibility, Automatic Operators, Door Closers|18 Comments
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Time-Out Lock

One of our customers sent me this photo last week.  It was found on a psychiatric facility and to operate it, a staff member must be present and holding the bolt projected via the lever.  I did my best to track down a manufacturer with no luck.  It's possible that it was made in a machine shop or that it is no longer available, but my first thought when I saw it was that I need to buy 3 for my kids' rooms and then find 3 suckers to stand there holding the bolts projected.  ;-)

By |2012-01-27T22:10:41-05:00February 23rd, 2009|Funky Applications, Locks & Keys, Means of Egress|2 Comments
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Tactile Warning

Tactile warning is an abrasive or knurled strip on a lever handle to indicate that the door leads to a hazardous area such as a boiler room, mechanical room, or loading dock.  This requirement is no longer included in the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) or in ICC/ANSI A117.1, but it is a requirement of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (521 CMR):

By |2017-05-25T15:37:23-04:00February 23rd, 2009|Accessibility, Locks & Keys|2 Comments
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Electrical Power Transfer (EPT)

An EPT is an electrical power transfer, which is used to transfer wires from the door frame to the edge of the door.  It is used when there is a door-mounted piece of electrified hardware which requires power and/or sends a signal to a remote location.  The security consultants that I have worked with all prefer the EPT over electric hinges or door loops, which perform the same function.  It is also preferred over an electric hinge by most installers, because the EPT can be installed when the wiring connections are made, rather than being installed by the carpenter, removed for wiring, and reinstalled, getting mangled in the process.  The EPT is concealed when the door is closed (the door loop is exposed and prone to abuse) and it can accommodate larger gauge wires than an electric hinge. 

By |2012-01-27T22:10:41-05:00February 23rd, 2009|Electrified Hardware|14 Comments
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Door Gap Gauge

The instructors in my Fire Door Assembly Inspector (FDAI) class showed us a really handy gauge to measure clearances around fire rated doors, and since I'm going to do my first *official* inspection tomorrow I tracked one down.  It can easily and accurately measure 1/16", 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", and 3/8" gaps, and a 3/4" undercut.  For only $18.95, you can be the proud owner of your own Door Gap Gauge by shopping online at doorgapgauge.com.

By |2017-08-24T08:57:24-04:00February 23rd, 2009|FDAI, Fire Doors|2 Comments
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Panic Hardware on Electrical Rooms

Beginning with the 2002 edition, the National Electric Code (NFPA 70) requires that certain types of electric rooms have doors that open in the direction of egress and are "equipped with panic bars, pressure plates, or other devices that are normally latched but open under simple pressure."  According to an engineer I spoke with at the National Fire Protection Association, the releasing device could be a hospital latch or paddle-type release, but the fact that the words "panic bar" are used in the Code has prompted many code officials to require panic hardware.

By |2022-06-27T00:19:29-04:00February 23rd, 2009|Means of Egress, Panic Hardware|8 Comments
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