FF: Double Closer – Bamburg, Germany
According to Bob Larson of Builders Hardware & Supply Company, these double closers are doing a good job of controlling this 7-foot x 12-foot pair of doors at the Bamburg Cathedral...
WW: Mortised Parallel Arm Shoe
I've never seen this particular closer mounting before...how about you? I wonder about the strength of anchoring the shoe to the top of the door, and the critical tolerances of the mortise.
I’m stumped.
I don't get stumped very often, but I've never seen this before. What can you tell me about this mysterious contraption? How does it work?
WW: Shhh…nobody will ever know!
Just because closer reinforcements are not visible doesn't mean they aren't necessary! Yes - this is a fire door.
WW: Hanging by a Thread
Jess Dey sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo...SCARY!
FF: Found Fasteners
No screw pack in the box? No problem!
WW: Exploded View
The last time I posted a photo of a closer that had exploded, some of the readers thought it was Photoshopped. Here's another one.
WW: I have no words.
These Wordless Wednesday photos also qualify for Fixed-it Friday but I couldn't wait two more days to post them.
FF: 172 Degrees
This is not the first time I've seen this problem, but this is a pretty labor-intensive solution. Hopefully this wall is not a fire barrier.
QQ: Delayed-Action Closers on Fire Doors
Can a delayed action closer be installed on a fire door?
WWYD? How should these doors be hung?
This is a good one! What would you use to hang these doors, and what type of door closer could be used?
WWYD? Panic Hardware, No Closer?
Have you ever run across this application in the field or been asked to specify or install panic hardware on a door with no closer? What is your response to this request?
WW: PA or TJ?
After you check out today's Wordless Wednesday photo, can you help with some questions from iDH readers?
WWYD? 5th/6th Screw in Closer Shoe
Should "missing" screws in a parallel-arm shoe be cited as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
WWYD? Doors on a Diagonal
ere's the owner's wish list for these auditorium doors...pull-side mounted closers, surface-mounted or easy to retrofit. The doors are mounted on a diagonal within the opening to deflect sound. The doors and frames are wood. Ideas?
WW: Small World / Full Circle
Last week I posted a Wordless Wednesday video sent to me by Eyal Bedrick of Entry Systems Ltd. in Israel. The video showed an all-glass door exploding into a zillion pieces when the door opened against the sidelight.
WW: Whoa.
Eyal Bedrick of Entry Systems Ltd. sent me this Wordless Wednesday video. This is one of the reasons good door control is important!
WW: No Seasonal Adjustment Needed
In certain parts of the US and Canada I've heard that it's getting chilly...here's one way to deal with that pesky problem of closer fluid that thickens in the cold weather and slows down the closing speed.
FF: Alternative Closer Mounting
Any bets on how long this installation will last? Thank you to Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems for this Fixed-it Friday photo...
WW: Duct, Duct, Goose!
All I can say is...wow. That's a pretty nice modification to the duct to accommodate the closer arm...
Stack Pressure (video)
Have you run into problems with the effects of building stack pressure on the operation of doors? Here's a new whiteboard animation video that explains the basics of stack pressure...
Architects’ Journal: Form Studio completes reworking of ‘cookie cutter’ nineties flat
Looking at the photos that accompany the article, the closing device is mounted in the door edge. Has anyone used this type of product?
FF: Closer Conundrum
Alec Walsh of Allegion sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo and we're both scratching our heads wondering what would cause someone to install a closer in this manner. Any ideas?
FF: Restroom Closer
Julia Bradley of Willis Klein sent me this photo of a closer she saw in a restroom. Yes, the mounting is not per the manufacturer's instructions, but what's really odd is the paint job. Why bother?
FF: Inconsistent Mounting Strategy
This was one of those photos from a recent road trip where the kids were like, "MOMMMMM...We just want a 5-dollar footlong!" and I was fixated on why these two closers would have different mounting locations for the shoe. How did this happen?
WWYD? Bifold x Self-Closing Swinging Door
OK - this one is going to take some thought, so let's focus. Paul Nykiel of Johnson Hardware sent me these photos of an opening he's trying to help with...
Fire Door – Time to Close
How quickly should a fire door close? If the door closes too slowly, could it negatively impact the ability of the fire door to deter the spread of smoke and flames?
WW: Exploding Closer
WHOA. Today's Wordless Wednesday photo courtesy of Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion.
WWYD? Concealed Closer for Heavy Door
This is a real-life problem on a current project and I know someone out there has a good answer. Here is a description of the doors...
FF: 180-Degree Pair
Pete Schifferli of Expert Locksmith sent me these Fixed-it Friday photos (this is not his handiwork). These are new doors in a hospital corridor, and the closers are mounted to the wall on each side to allow the doors to open 180 degrees and engage the electromagnetic holders...
FF: Broken Arm
This closer repair obviously qualifies as a Fixed-it Friday photo, but it also left me Wordless. Thanks to Jim Lenox of Allegion.
WW: Abuse and Neglect
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was sent by Nolan Thrope of Allegion...this is a cross-corridor fire door in a school. The closer is missing as well as the obvious hinge problem. Sadly, this type of neglect is not uncommon. :(
FF: Which Came First?
Sort of like the chicken and the egg, this Fixed-it Friday photo from Steve Turner and Ray Valentine of Precision Doors & Hardware made me wonder...was the closer added because the automatic operator wasn't closing the door properly, or was the automatic operator added because the closer required too much opening force? Or one or the other stopped working completely but was not removed?
FF: Standard Oil
When Jess Dey found this closer on eBay, I was shocked to see such a beautiful potbelly closer! I've never seen a closer with decorative accents - usually architects want to hide the hardware. As it turns out, this closer from the Standard Oil Building in San Francisco was rescued from the trash heap as a standard closer...
Automatic-Closing Door Application
Last week I received a really interesting question. The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made a local code modification that requires certain stairwell doors to be automatic-closing. But what about security? This is the application I would use...
FF: High Winds
Andy Lindenberg, one of my Allegion coworkers, sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos from a university that has an obvious wind condition. This door has a spring-cush arm on the closer, a heavy duty overhead stop, and a chain stop. Do you have any better ideas?
More Reader Photos
Austin Baumann of Central Indiana Hardware sent me this photo of the emergency exit in a mirror maze. This would be considered a special amusement building - I wrote about some of the requirements for those occupancies here. I have often seen means of egress modifications...
WW: Down at the Mini-Mart
Chris Ostwinkle from DH Pace sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo. The bar above the panic limits the degree of opening, which may have contributed to the closer issues. And in case you missed it...that's a double-cylinder deadbolt above the panic, in addition to the slide bolt. :(
Door Closer Arm Options (video)
People ask me all the time..."What's a 'CUSH' closer?" The answer is in our latest whiteboard animation video!
WWYD? Assisted Living Entries
I am often asked whether it is code-compliant to install a separate deadbolt with a latchset or lockset on a dwelling unit entry door in an assisted living facility. Most doors in a means of egress are required to unlatch with one operation for egress. While there is an exception...
WW: Sardine Can
It's Wordless Wednesday!
FF: Bungee (Again)
The funny thing about this Fixed-it Friday photo is that it arrived on the same day from 2 different people - Steve Murray of Security Lock Distributors, and Ed Marchakitus of Cornell Storefront Systems. Thanks to both of you!
How an LCN Door Closer Works (video)
Here is one more whiteboard animation (for now)...this one explains some of the basic operations of a door closer. All of these videos, including the ones I previously posted on panic hardware, lock functions, and door handing, can be found on the Allegion Training videos page...
Door Closer Arm Options
Most door closers used today are surface-mounted closers with a double-lever arm. These closers fall into two categories – application-specific, and universal. A universal closer is best when the field conditions are unknown, or when flexibility is a top priority. Application-specific closers give the specifier and supplier more control over how the door closer is mounted...
Maneuvering Clearance with Spring Hinges
A question hit my inbox a few weeks ago that I had never considered before: Does a door with spring hinges require the same maneuvering clearance as a door with a door closer?
WWYD: Fusible Link Arms
NFPA 80 does not prohibit their use but the International Building Code (IBC) requires automatic-closing doors in certain locations to be smoke-activated...automatic-closing by the actuation of smoke detectors...
FF: New LCN Special Template
It's called the Ives Cush Stop (just kidding - we don't endorse this application!)...
WWYD? Stairwell Pressure
When you have a pressurized stairwell that is required for smoke control, the increased pressure in the stairwell makes doors swinging into the stair more difficult to open, and doors swinging out of the stair may not close and latch. WWYD?
WW: Special Closer Mounting
These photos were taken by Todd Borsch from Allegion. This is not a special template authorized by LCN!
Back-2-Basics: Handing 101
I have been asked about door handing SO MANY TIMES over the years...hopefully with your help we can address the questions once and for all. Leave me a comment if I forgot anything!