Code Update: Terminated Stops on Fire Door Assemblies
I have had quite a few questions about terminated stops on fire door assemblies, so this change to the 2021 IBC should help to clarify what is allowed by code.
I have had quite a few questions about terminated stops on fire door assemblies, so this change to the 2021 IBC should help to clarify what is allowed by code.
One thing I have found during my 35 years in the door and hardware industry is that there is always more to learn. Check out the online classes available this week!
Whether you are in your office or at home with your cat (or kids!), you can keep learning. Our national trainers are offering 2 webinars tomorrow.
Today's Quick Question: Is sealant required around a fire door frame - where it meets the sheetrock?
Matthew Stonebraker of Allegion just sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo of a glass door at the Mexico City National Museum of Art, and it's so cool! Have you seen a modification like this before?
Today's Quick Question: Are the vision lights in double-acting traffic doors / impact doors required to comply with the accessibility standards?
If you have supplied doors, frames, and hardware, you've probably had some projects that kept you awake at night. I know I have, but the end result can be so rewarding!
I need some help from any wood door experts out there...any theories on what might have caused the horizontal lines on these wood doors? They weren't visible until the doors were field stained.
Today's Fixed-it Friday photos were sent in by Colin Watson of Allegion. I'm sure some of you must have theories on why this storage closet opening was detailed this way. I can't wait to hear them!
Here's a heads-up going out to all of the detailers, architects, and door manufacturers out there...double-check the vision light locations for classroom doors.
What do you think of doors and frames that are flush with the corridor wall on the push side? I like the clean look, but the door-operating part of my brain was not a fan.
Calling all architects...we need your help with this one! Do you indicate on the drawings which leaf of a pair should be active and which is inactive?
I wonder how long this temporary door will last. Any wagers?
Any theories about what happened in today's Fixed-it Friday photo?
I have a theory about what happened here...what's yours? This "fix" shows the importance of making sure the correct hardware is specified from the get-go.
When an exterior metal door binds on sunny days but works just fine at night, it's likely that the problem is caused by thermal bow.
Bill Cushman of Genesis Door and Hardware sent me this link to a door with an unusual core...I was Wordless even though it's Fixed-it Friday!
Have you ever run into a situation where a piece of hardware or a mortar box in a fire-rated frame prevented the GWB from penetrating 1/2-inch into the frame, as required by NFPA 80?
Someone just asked me about software for creating shop drawings, elevations, and details. It's been a really long time since I've done submittals, so I told him that I'd ask the experts - YOU!
The director of maintenance for some nursing homes in NYC sent me this photo and asked how to avoid this problem in future installations. Any constructive suggestions?
Creative, but I have a few concerns. How about you?
If I found this application in the field, I would contact the frame manufacturer and see if the application is allowed by their listing. I'm pretty sure the answer would be "no."
One more photo from our time in Asheville...this is not how I would have handled the need for additional airflow at this church entrance.
On a multi-family building, are the dwelling unit doors required to have a 10-inch bottom rail?
Ann Timme of Allegion sent me this photo the other day and it reminded me to tell you about a potential change to the International Building Code (IBC).
What's the problem with this door? Any ideas?
I'm not an expert on the electrical codes, but this just seems wrong to me.
How do you "hand" a communicating door? Are the doors LH/RH? Or LHR/RHR?
If you have seen more projects incorporating storm shelters lately, this is likely due to changes in the International Building Code (IBC).
The increased enforcement of the inspection requirements for fire door assemblies has brought some pretty intense scrutiny upon the various components. In some cases we're finding that NFPA 80 and the model codes don't currently address the fine details of how these assemblies are tested and constructed.
8 Floors - YIKES!
This is one of the most amazing doors I've ever seen!
You may remember that I'm working on a series of online code classes, which will be available early in 2018. To support those classes, I am updating some of my past Decoded articles to include revisions from new editions of the codes and standards. Here is the latest information regarding alterations of fire door assemblies.
What led to this "fix"? Any theories?
NFPA 80 – Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, classifies openings protected by fire door assemblies in one of five categories...
The application is in a building where the floors are out of level, and the fire door frames are installed with one jamb flush with the floor, leaving the other jamb with a gap...
With the increased use of sprinkler systems in commercial and institutional buildings, the need for temperature-rise doors has declined, but there are still locations where they are required...
I have no idea what happened here. Wordless...
Today's "shoulda" Fixed-it Friday video came from Luis Gabriel Gonzalez, one of Allegion's specwriter apprentice. What happened here???
I love this door (although I question its structural integrity) - and yes, I have been called quirky a few times. Why be normal?!
"When I'm installing a fire-rated frame into an existing opening using existing wall anchors, how much space can I have around the frame, and what is permissible to use to seal that gap?"
What drives the need for thermal-break frames and similar products in your jurisdiction? Is it an energy code, another code or standard, LEED...
Charles Anderson sent me this photo of a horizontal sliding door he found on a marked exit in an antique store. So...is it code-compliant?
CPTED (pronounced sep-ted) stands for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, and is defined as a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through environmental design...
I might need to go on a field trip to the Vikings' new stadium...just to see these doors! WoW! Blake Nelson of Allegion sent me these photos from a recent site visit...
If you're involved in specifying, supplying, coordinating, or maintaining hardware for aluminum or glass doors, WWYD? Where should the hardware be specified and how do you ensure that all of the details are addressed...
A very common repair includes installing steel fasteners in unused holes, grinding off the fastener heads, and concealing the repair with Bondo, but this is not specifically mentioned in NFPA 80...
When an old fire door needs to be modified, what precautions are taken to ensure that the door does not contain hazardous material?
This photo was sent to me by Joanne Gretter of Herman Gibans Fodor, Inc., and I really have no words.
According to Ken Cook of Allegion, today's Fixed-it Friday photo is from a church in Indianapolis, where a small earthquake in 2004 broke some underground pipes. This is one way to solve the problem...