Gasketing & Thresholds

FF: Sharpie Seal

Ian Baren of Katonah Architectural Hardware sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo.  This mortise lock is on a very fancy clothing store, and apparently it was an aesthetic problem for someone that the gasketing did not continue down the lock face.  So they drew it in with a Sharpie!  You'd think that if they were going to go to the trouble, they would have used a straight-edge!

By |2017-07-18T00:53:18-04:00July 21st, 2017|Fixed-it Friday, Gasketing & Thresholds|5 Comments

Gasketing on Stair Doors

If you read this paragraph in a vacuum, it seems like all fire doors have to limit the air infiltration to this level (in most cases this would require gasketing), but this paragraph falls under section 716.5.3 - Door assemblies in corridors and smoke barriers. There are two sections following 716.5.3 that apply to other types of fire doors...

By |2021-07-05T16:24:48-04:00August 25th, 2014|Fire Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds, Smoke|20 Comments

Slip-Resistance

Last week I read a blog post called, "Excuse me, but your slip is showing," from Constructive Thoughts, the blog of Sheldon Wolfe.  I'm a sucker for a well-researched article on a code-related topic, so I sent Sheldon an email asking if I could reference his post here.  Sheldon told me to have at it, but also said that it wasn't very satisfying for him to write this type of article - where you research every angle and end up without a useful conclusion.

By |2017-11-11T17:30:04-05:00May 6th, 2014|Accessibility, Gasketing & Thresholds|9 Comments

WWYD? – Church Pair Meeting Stiles

I saw this church from the highway on our way into Roanoke, Virginia last week - it's St. Andrews Catholic Church, and I just knew it would have some nice doors.  As soon as I approached the building from the parking lot, I spotted the meeting stile gasketing.  Most people would probably see the building as a whole, or maybe the beautiful pulls, but I couldn't get past the gasketing.

By |2013-02-14T14:51:04-05:00July 5th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds, WWYD?|10 Comments

Smoke – Smokeproof Enclosure

According to the International Building Code (IBC), every required exit stairway that extends more than 75 feet ABOVE the lowest level of fire department vehicle access (high rise buildings), and every required exit stairway that serves floor levels more than 30 feet BELOW the level of exit discharge must comply with the referenced sections on smokeproof exit enclosures. (IBC 2009 - 403.5.4 & 405.7.2, IBC 2003 & 2006 - 403.13 & 405.8.2)

By |2012-01-27T22:07:33-05:00June 1st, 2010|Gasketing & Thresholds, Smoke|3 Comments

Hospital & Nursing Home (I-2) Cross-Corridor Pairs

The 2009 edition of the International Building Code (IBC) contains an important change that's easy to miss if you're not looking for it.  I stumbled across it a few months ago when someone asked me about the exception for cross-corridor doors without positive latching in I-2 occupancies.

By |2014-04-26T19:26:59-04:00September 23rd, 2009|Door Closers, Fire Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds|16 Comments

Closer Seals

One of my (non-hardware industry) friends commented recently that she's been reading this blog and can't believe how complicated doors and hardware are.  It's true!  There are a thousand ways to screw up a door and I've made my share of mistakes over the years, but at this point I often spot problems from across the room while "regular" people continue to walk through the doors without noticing.

Astragals with Vertical Rod Panics

An astragal is a piece of molding used on a pair of doors or between the top and bottom leaves of a Dutch door, to provide security, protect against weather conditions, prevent light or sound transmission, or to retard the passage of smoke, flame, or gases during a fire.  On a Dutch door the astragal is used to close the bottom leaf in conjunction with the top leaf.  An astragal should not be confused with a mullion, which sits between (fixed) or behind (removable) the meeting stiles of a pair.

Fire Door Clearance

The 2007 edition of NFPA 80 contains an important change regarding the clearance at the bottom of a fire rated door.  In previous editions of this standard, there was a somewhat confusing table (Table 1-11.4) listing different allowable clearance dimensions depending on the flooring material.  The 2007 edition simplifies this requirement, allowing 3/4" clearance under the bottom of the door regardless of the flooring.  The only exception is when the bottom of the door is more than 38" above the floor, ie. dutch doors and counter shutters.

By |2017-10-06T11:25:45-04:00April 20th, 2009|Fire Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds|10 Comments
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