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.
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.
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?"
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.
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?
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.
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. :(
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.
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)?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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?
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...
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?
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?
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.
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...
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Today's Quick Question has come up dozens of times: Can spring hinges be installed on a fire door that is larger than 3'-0" x 7'-0"? NFPA 80's table shows that as the maximum size, but is that the final answer?
These restaurant exits left me Wordless - especially considering that some of the foliage is planted in the ground - not even in pots! When you go for dinner, don't forget to bring your machete in case you need to evacuate!
When a stop or holder is mounted on the floor, at what point does it become a tripping hazard? I have not found a specific reference in the model codes or referenced standards on the acceptable mounting location.
When it comes to ADA compliance, there are minimum requirements, and there are real-life requirements. STANLEY Access Technologies is proud to partner with New Horizons Village to continue this very important conversation and advance the mission of accessibility for all.
What do you think about the location for the auto operator actuator shown in these Fixed-it Friday photos? Based on the BHMA A156.19 standard and the accessibility requirements, is there a code issue?
This Quick Question has come up a few times lately: In an existing fire door, can a vision panel be added or enlarged in the field, assuming that the correct glazing is installed? Have you had experience with this modification?
Although the number of violations found in the host stadium for Super Bowl LVII is a bit disconcerting, it's reassuring to know that code compliance is being taken seriously in order to help ensure life safety for occupants of the facility.
Do you know the difference between a fire-resistance-rated assembly and a fire-protection-rated assembly? It could be very costly to price an assembly listed to UL 10C / NFPA 252 when it should have been listed to ASTM E119 / UL 263.
In 2018, the International Code Council (ICC) established an ad hoc committee to comprehensively explore and assess building safety and security - an issue that is important to all of us. The committee has issued their final report, and it is available for download.
Joe Cross of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo of an "electrified" removable mullion, which is definitely not a listed application. If you've seen any creative door or hardware modifications, submit a photo for a future post on iDigHardware!
Earlier in the week I wrote about the value of code-compliant fire doors in multifamily residential occupancies, but even non-fire-rated residential doors can play an important role during a fire. Check out this video from West Metro Fire Rescue for more...
