FF: Exterior Fire Protection
Fire door assemblies aren't just something you read about in NFPA 80 - they have an important role in the passive fire protection of a building. Here's another fire door win!
Fire door assemblies aren't just something you read about in NFPA 80 - they have an important role in the passive fire protection of a building. Here's another fire door win!
I'm curious about this "self-cleaning" wrap installed on a door pull at a restaurant entrance. Do any of you have experience with this technology?
Not too many people would be walking down a hospital corridor and notice the problem shown in today's Fixed-it Friday photo. Can you see it?
It still amazes me that people with seemingly no understanding of the code requirements will make modifications to their doors that could result in injury or even death.
This was the result of a school maintenance manager’s attempt to unlock a door that was not on the key system. I think I would have broken the glass, but whatever works.
If you see any situations like this, I'd love a photo to help share ideas for Fixed-it Friday "fixes" that ensure all safety requirements are met.
If your fire exit hardware shows up on the job-site without the dogging feature, there's a good reason for that. Homemade dogging is not a valid fix!
Leave it to NFPA to come up with a new type of dogging that is guaranteed to keep a door with panic hardware unlocked indefinitely.
Coming in just after duct tape and WD-40 in the lineup for must-have tools to fix door-related problems...the Sharpie!
Speaking from experience, this repair method - which apparently spans across multiple industries - does not last long.
Sometimes it's painful to see what people will do to their doors and hardware. Trying to solve one problem can lead to another...
Hardware sets in a specification look like a different language to most people, so sometimes there are surprises when the doors and hardware are installed.
Where there's a will (and the AHJ is flexible), there's a way. It's clear that a lot of thought went into this opening, but I have a few unanswered questions...
Yesterday morning, Luna and I saw a security gate/screen door that made me think of y'all...check out the vertical stiles and jambs. This is some serious custom work!
This is a feat of engineering and might even be compliant with the code requirement for one operation to unlatch the door. If only I had a video...
In the never-ending battle of convenience vs. security...convenience wins again! Why bother investing in access control?
This is the first time I've ever received a Fixed-it Friday STORY...not just one FF photo, but 13 photos and Logan Piburn's narration of the whole situation. Thanks Logan!
It's Fixed-it Friday, AND...last call for the iDigHardware Yeti mug! Share your insight today on my post about school security design trends, and I'll pick a winner!
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo shows someone's attempt at solving the problem of a non-ADA-compliant thumbturn in a veterans' home. Fortunately, the locks have since been replaced.
I received today's Fixed-it Friday photo from Ken Sako of Lazzaro Companies, and I'm wordless. Maybe y'all can think of something to say.
I don't know about y'all, but I needed a laugh today (I know - odd things make me laugh). Happy Fixed-it Friday - I hope you are all staying safe and well.
I know that some architects would rather not see thru-bolts for closers, but I think they should be standard for every school specification. Do you agree?
Today's Fixed-it Friday photos show a situation found at a state college. I'm curious whether any of you can come up with examples of when this "fix" would be acceptable.
Facility managers need to carefully consider changes made to prevent virus transmission, which could affect egress, fire protection, and accessibility.
Covid-19 has inspired new "inventions" to help people avoid touching door hardware with their hands, to limit the spread of the virus. How can the hardware industry help?
Seriously...how does anyone justify this Fixed-it Friday "fix"? If someone tells you this was approved by the fire marshal, I wouldn't believe it.
You may have to zoom in and look around to see exactly what's happening in this Fixed-it Friday photo. All I have to say is...there are better ways to transfer power.
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?
The intent of the application in today's Fixed-it Friday photos is obviously to deter the use of the doors - do you think this is code-compliant? Have you ever seen any documentation on these plastic loops?
It's fire exit hardware, so it has to latch!
We've all seen closers installed incorrectly...the question is how will the control of this door be affected by the installation in this Fixed-it Friday photo?
I know these doors aren't actually secured with licorice, and I HOPE this building is under construction and unoccupied. Thank you to Keith Zettler for today's Fixed-it Friday photo.
The extreme weather we're experiencing may open up new opportunities for hardware design...today's Fixed-it Friday photos could be a prototype for a future product. :)
Keith Nelsen of Lindquist Security Technologies sent me today's Fixed-it Friday video. I'm guessing it wasn't an intentional "fix", but it's interesting nonetheless.
The story here is that the cross-corridor doors in this hospital were scheduled to be 8-foot doors, but the wrong (7-foot) assembly was installed. WWYD?
Restaurants are notorious for creative hardware applications...next time you go out to eat, look around at the doors and send me some photos! :)
There's no point in installing an automatic operator if the user can not reach the actuator. Do you know where to find the mounting recommendations for knowing-act switches?
Another Friday, another "fix." This fire door probably won't perform as designed and tested, should a fire occur. Why does convenience so often win out over safety??
Check out this opening, installed on a ramp in a restaurant. The building was originally a warehouse for a grain mill and other materials shipped by train during the mid-1800s. Can you see the "fix"?
The creative solutions never end! RB Sontag of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and if this is a fire door, we've got a problem.
Kelly Reese of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and I have to admit, it's pretty creative. Unfortunately, if this is a fire door the purpose of the fire door assembly has been completely defeated.
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.
Ahhh...that feeling you get when you overhear someone telling their coworker that they think they've spotted a code violation - and they took a photo of it!
Kick-down holders (prohibited in most commercial locations) are meant to flip down and hold the door open. This one is being used for a different purpose. Any ideas?
It can sometimes be difficult to determine whether a particular type of hardware requires special knowledge or effort to operate since this is left up to each AHJ to interpret. Not this time...
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.
How quickly we forget the lessons learned in tragic events such as the fires at the Iroquois Theatre and the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub. If you see something, say something!
I'm Wordless about today's Fixed-it Friday photo. Considering that this is a retail store, I'm not even sure how/why this happened. Any theories?
Looking past the Fixed-it Friday "fix" and the non-code-compliant hardware, what do you think about the design of this opening? Are these exit doors easily identifiable?
Chris Stokes of Precision Doors and Hardware sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos, taken in a gas station/convenience store. At first, this looks like careless placement of a trash can...