WWYD? Memory Care “Signs”?
One side of this device is attached to the door with double-sided tape, and the other side is magnetic. It is used in a memory care facility to indicate whether a resident's room is vacant or occupied. WWYD?
One side of this device is attached to the door with double-sided tape, and the other side is magnetic. It is used in a memory care facility to indicate whether a resident's room is vacant or occupied. WWYD?
The new fire door inspection cards have been updated, and they will be printed and laminated soon! Thank you for your patience! (I also have a label question for you.)
If a labeled fire door is installed in a location where a fire door is not required, must the assembly be maintained and inspected according to the requirements of NFPA 80?
Do you use our laminated fire door assembly inspection cards? I could really use your help!
Yesterday, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke with Bill Ritter on the show Up Close about recent fires that occurred in NYC, where open doors had a negative impact on safety.
Fire, panic, and other emergencies can strike anywhere, any time. To offer the highest level of protection, buildings must be code-compliant everywhere, all the time.
This documentary should be required viewing - not just for those of us who are involved in codes, but for anyone who enters buildings (that means everyone).
There's more than one way to hold open a door for convenience, and if it's a fire door, the method needs to be code-compliant. Here's a great Fixed-it Friday example.
If a door or frame has a label indicating that is is fire rated, is the assembly required to be maintained and inspected as required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 101? A proposed code change offers a clarification.
This article was published in the October 2019 issue of Locksmith Ledger, and includes some questions that you can use to determine whether your code knowledge is up-to-date.
It warms my heart that in the last 10 years, the number of people who actually notice these problems (and often do something to resolve them) has increased significantly.
Maybe rules really are made to be broken? Which code requirements are being violated with this creative Wordless Wednesday installation?
Do you know of any facility that is using the performance-based option for fire door assembly inspection? I asked the Joint Commission about it...
Imagine that you are moving your mom into an assisted living facility, and you notice that the door closer on every fire-rated apartment entrance door has been disconnected...
The first step in improving fire door safety is identifying the problems that are consistently seen in the field. How can the industry help improve the durability and performance of opening protectives?
Regarding an existing fire door assembly - the door has a fire label but the frame does not. Is the frame required to have a label?
Here it is - my favorite Fixed-it Friday photo of all time (so far)! If you have any interesting door photos from your summer vacation, I'd love to see them!
Much of the work to replace deficient fire doors in London residential blocks has not been completed, so one man decided to take matters into his own hands to prove a point. Don't do this.
I receive so many questions about fire doors vs. smoke doors; my article from the June issue of Construction Specifier answers many of them.
Does painting or refinishing a fire door in the field void the label? The answer to today's Quick Question seems obvious, but can you prove it?
Someone recently asked me...if residential bedroom doors do such a great job of keeping the fire out, why bother with fire doors? What's the difference?
Is an existing fire door assembly with 2 hinges acceptable, or should it be noted as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
It's almost time to submit change proposals for NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 - tell me what's on your wish list and I'll see what I can do to help!
Heads up - the 5-pound force limit on operable hardware is something everyone should be aware of long before the final inspection by the AHJ.
To bring more clarity, the Fire Protection Research Foundation has begun work on a full-scale fire test on fire doors with varying gaps between the door and frame.
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?
Follow-Up #1: For which types of hardware does NFPA 80 allow job-site preparations to be made in fire door assemblies?
If you're not in the habit of reading NFPA 80 cover-to-cover each time it is updated, this one might have slipped by you. It's an important change.
The answer: In almost every US state. With that said, having it required by code and having it enforced by the AHJ are sometimes two different things.
Can less-bottom-rod (LBR) fire exit hardware with an auxiliary fire pin be installed on an existing fire door? If you have anything to add, please weigh in!
On a fire door assembly, is it acceptable to drill/cut a hole in the frame for the latchbolt, and not install the strike?
What's the proper protocol when a fire door assembly has been installed where it is not required? If you're considering the use of decomissioning labels, read this first.
Code issues are not uncommon in hotels, apartment buildings, and other residential occupancies. My next Decoded article addresses some things to look for.
Considering the liability a hotel could face if their fire door assemblies failed to perform during a fire, the repair methods employed by many hotels seem pretty irresponsible.
The British Woodworking Federation offers dozens of resources to increase awareness about fire door assemblies across the UK. What types of tools do we need in the US?
This summer I visited quite a few colleges, and this dorm left me Wordless. :( Can you find all of the code-related issues with these fire doors and egress doors?
Could a locksmith be held liable for installing non-code-compliant hardware or will a facility manager face liability for failing to maintain openings in code-compliant condition?
During a fire door assembly inspection, should a flashlight be used to verify whether the gasketing is continuous?
When I first started working in the door and hardware industry, I learned all about the rules that apply to fire doors, but I didn’t fully appreciate the value of a closed door during a fire.
A new package of fire safety laws has now been approved and is on the mayor's desk awaiting his signature...
As hopefully most of you know by now, corridor doors in health care facilities are required by NFPA 101 to have positive-latching hardware. Lance Werner of Allegion sent me this photo of a pair of fire doors in a nursing home, leading to a linen storage room. A Schlage LM9200 would have been a much better solution.
This is what I've been saying all along. Why has it taken so many deaths and injuries to get people to pay attention?
So let's say that I'm thinking about renting out my college-bound daughter's bedroom on Airbnb to help offset the cost of her books and fees. Does her bedroom door need to be a fire door? Is my house now a small hotel?
This video from a recent fire in a dormitory at Idaho State University really shows the difference that a closed door can make.
I'm just going to admit it - I'm confused - and I'm hoping that someone who works more closely with the Joint Commission can help to clear this up. The Joint Commission recently distributed a document giving notice of 3 changes to their standards; 2 of the changes involve doors, and the effective date is March 11, 2018.
Does NFPA 80 allow small signs on fire door frames? Are there limitations on the size, material, and method of attachment?
One of the most frequently-cited products seems to be the door loop or door cord. In order to address this problem, Schlage series 788 and 789 armored door cords are now classified by UL to UL 10C, and are acceptable for use on fire door assemblies.
You have all heard me talk about how important it is to sleep with your bedroom door closed at night - to benefit from the protection provided by a closed door. I've been writing about fire doors on iDigHardware for 9 YEARS(!), trying to inform as many people as possible about the purpose of fire doors, why they need to be closed and latched when a fire occurs, and what is involved with an annual fire door inspection.
Should "missing" screws in a parallel-arm shoe be cited as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
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.