Fixed-it Friday

FF: Fire Exit Hardware Modification

Fire doors are required to have an active latchbolt, so fire exit hardware (panic hardware for fire doors) is not equipped with a mechanical dogging mechanism that could be used to hold the latch retracted.  When the lack of dogging creates an inconvenience, creative modifications sometimes occur.  The added slidebolt on this fire exit hardware will prevent the fire door from functioning properly during a fire.  I wonder what the insurance company would have to say about that.

By |2014-06-05T13:13:30-04:00June 6th, 2014|Fixed-it Friday, Panic Hardware|7 Comments
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FF: Doors of Klemens Torggler

The design blogs and architectural sites are all abuzz about these doors designed by Austrian artist Klemens Torggler.  I agree - they are very cool and it's about time someone invented an alternative to the hinge, which has been around for thousands of years.  Let's not ruin the party by mentioning security, egress, durability, accessibility, fire resistance, or chopped off fingers, and just enjoy the innovation.  :D

By |2014-02-14T01:17:13-05:00February 14th, 2014|Beautiful Doors, Fixed-it Friday|5 Comments
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FF: Rodless

Instead of maintaining the fire exit hardware on this pair of fire doors, the rods and most of the latches were removed and an exit alarm was installed.  The most disturbing part is that there are doors like this EVERYWHERE...fire doors and egress doors that will no longer perform as designed, tested, and required by code, because of lack of maintenance or improper modifications.  And without widespread adoption of the fire and egress door inspection requirements, we're left to address these problems one door at a time.  In each fatal fire the main focus seems to always be on sprinklers, but compartmentalization is key to preventing the spread of smoke and flames.  It goes without saying that code-compliant egress is a life safety feature which can't be compromised.

By |2014-02-20T18:06:09-05:00February 7th, 2014|FDAI, Fire Doors, Fixed-it Friday, Means of Egress, Panic Hardware|7 Comments
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FF: Polar Vortex

I live just outside of Boston and I'm so tired of the cold winter weather we've had this year.  I went to a meeting last week and the entrance to the meeting room was from an interior corridor, but there was an exterior door at the end of the corridor nearby.  I noticed that the closer on the interior door had an allen wrench stuck in the adjustment valve.  I asked someone who worked in the facility why it was there (like I didn't know), and he told me that they leave it there permanently because they have to adjust the closer every time the outside temperature gets above or below a certain point.  Otherwise, on cold days the interior door to the meeting room creeps closed, letting in the colder air from the corridor, and on warmer doors the door slams shut.  LCN's all-weather fluid (supplied standard), would have helped here...it will maintain the same viscosity for temperatures between 120 degrees F and -30 degrees F, so seasonal adjustment is not required.

By |2014-02-20T18:05:27-05:00January 31st, 2014|Door Closers, Fixed-it Friday, Means of Egress, Panic Hardware|1 Comment
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FF: Lock Jaw

I know some of you will have something to say about this video, sent to me by Jim Elder of Secured Design...the ease of lock bumping, code-compliance of the product, ineffectiveness of deadbolts, double-sided tape...what do you think?  The national security expert explains the product at 3:25.

By |2014-01-24T09:37:18-05:00January 24th, 2014|Fixed-it Friday, Locks & Keys, Means of Egress|6 Comments
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FF: Random Creativity

If any of you attended DHI's AH2 class in Savannah, Georgia back in the Good Old Days, you may have had one of my all-time favorite instructors - Bob Jutzi.  I actually use a lot of his techniques when I teach, to try to make my classes more engaging and dare I say "fun"?  I don't have a flat-cat Earl, but I still have the monkey from my AH2 class (and a monkey arm from another year).  Bob sent me the photos below so if you want to leave him a "howdy" you can do so in the comments.

By |2014-01-29T13:31:55-05:00January 10th, 2014|Door Closers, Fire Doors, Fixed-it Friday, Panic Hardware|11 Comments
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FF: Creative Doorknobs

The other day I ran across this glass globe doorknob, which allows you to see into the next room before you enter.  Pretty cool design, but not without its challenges, especially if it's not available with 1-way viewing.  I could use it to spy on my kids to see if they're playing video games when they're supposed to be sleeping, but I don't want them to be able to check to see if the coast is clear before leaving their bedroom to make a run to the cookie jar.

By |2016-01-13T11:09:41-05:00January 3rd, 2014|Fixed-it Friday, Locks & Keys|0 Comments
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FF: STOP!

When you're faced with an opening where a floor stop or wall stop just won't work, you could use an overhead stop.  If that's not enough protection, you could use a door closer with advanced variable backcheck (AVB), which starts the backcheck (cushioning effect) earlier in the opening cycle and keeps the door from gaining momentum.  Or you could get creative and make your own stop, cover it with carpet so it looks pretty, and then buy a new door...

By |2017-05-30T16:00:50-04:00December 6th, 2013|Doors Gone Wrong, Fixed-it Friday, Stops|9 Comments
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FF: Lockdown

Eric Paul of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me these photos of another school lockdown product that a local school was using.  The lock is kept locked, and the add-on product keeps the latchbolt retracted until there's an emergency and the teacher needs to lock the door.  This product can not be used on fire doors, which need to latch.  Have any of you ever seen or used this product?  Comments?

By |2013-12-04T23:19:28-05:00November 15th, 2013|Fixed-it Friday, Locks & Keys, School Security|11 Comments
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FF: More Velcro

People always tell me how much they love Wordless Wednesday - the day I post photos that leave me wordless (speechless).  I think the steady stream of creative applications I'm receiving would support a Friday series to help ease us into the weekends.  I need some help with a catchy name for this category of posts (that doesn't contain any inappropriate language).  So think about a name that goes with "Friday", and conjures up visions of creative, although sometimes misguided "solutions".  If I use your idea, there's a $25 Amazon gift certificate with your name on it.  Freaky Friday?  Friday Funnies?  Help?!

By |2013-10-16T10:37:45-04:00October 11th, 2013|Fire Doors, Fixed-it Friday|14 Comments
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