I’m off to Cleveland!
Are you headed to Cleveland this week for the DHI ConNextions conference? I hope to see you there!
Training Alert: Collaboration to maximize your project, time, and profit
If you are looking for some continuing education credit, or just want to learn more about collaborating on a door hardware specification, here's your chance!
Time’s Up!
Last call! And in addition to the randomly-selected winners of the 10th anniversary contest, I have a gift for someone who has been a loyal reader since the very beginning.
Timeline: 10 Years of iDigHardware
This is the last week of the 10th anniversary celebration, but there's still time for you to register to win - AND to learn more about the resources available on iDigHardware!
What are you searching for?
You asked for an improved search feature to help you find what you're searching for in iDigHardware's library of 2,300+ posts...here it is!
Celebrating 10 YEARS of iDigHardware!
iDigHardware has been celebrating our 10-year anniversary for several months, and the party will continue through September, with your chance to win one of the daily or weekly prizes!
Today is the day!
I know...things look different, but everything should be in its usual place. If not, let me know and I'll do what I can to make this a painless change!
Arrivederci!
In honor of the 10th anniversary of this site (and to celebrate my oldest daughter's graduation), I have escaped to Italy. Do not panic...
July 4th – Independence Day
I'm off for the holiday weekend and I hope you are too! Next week I'll have a long-awaited gift for you all! Be safe, and Close Before You Doze!
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaaaanges
My man-behind-the-curtain (web guy - Robert Drake from Creekside) told me recently that iDigHardware is the "old lady" among his clients. It's time for the old lady to get a facelift!
Have a safe Memorial Day
I'll be out of the office for the Memorial Day holiday. See you tomorrow!
Decoded: Crossword Puzzle – Part 2 (March 2019)
A couple of weeks ago I posted Part 1 of my new Decoded crossword puzzle...here's Part 2! I would appreciate any feedback before the March issue of Door Security + Safety goes to print.
Decoded: Crossword Puzzle – Part 1 (February 2019)
If you remember my last Decoded crossword puzzle you may find it hard to believe that I created it 4 years ago! Let's see if you've been paying attention!
What the world needs now…
I am still alive, but I'm going to need your positive healing vibes and tolerance for the foreseeable future.
Favorite Posts
Have you ever been reading a post on iDigHardware and wished you could save it to refer back to later? In the Olden Days I used to keep printed articles in my binder called "Important Stuff" (no lie). Here's an alternative.
Sharing is Caring
Many people have asked if they can share my content in their newsletters, on their blogs, or in hard copy. In my quest to become irrelevant before I reach retirement age, I say YES!
Happy Holidays!
Thanks for all your support, and see you in 2018!
Take care of each other.
For weeks, it feels like I've been waking up to bad news. Earthquakes, floods, fires, now yet another mass shooting...
State Code Resources
There are a couple of great resources for finding out more information about the state code requirements as well as the model codes and referenced standards.
Happy Birthday to Me!
As I mentioned yesterday, today is my 50th birthday. It seems like a day that I should spend reflecting on my life so far, and planning what to do with the next 50 years. And eating cake...
Change is Good
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of change; I like predictability. I know that might surprise some of you, but I’m more apt to live by the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In case some of you are change-averse like me, I want to tell you about a change that is happening today.
Intro to Three Project Delivery Processes for Non-Residential Buildings (video)
These introductory videos are great for people who are new to the industry, so use the share/save icon above to share the link with your colleagues!
Reference Books & Resources
Because these books are long out of print they can be difficult to find, so imagine my excitement when an iDigHardware reader posted links to some of Adon's books in an online archive!
What’s Next?
This week I'm headed to our office in Carmel, Indiana, and one of the things I'm going to work on is the plan for 2017...
There’s the Door
Last week I said that it's not every day you see a cartoon about doors, and then Kevin Lach of Twin City Hardware sent me another one. I think this might sound familiar to some of you...
Door Problems…
I think there really are a thousand ways to screw up a door, but it's not every day you see a cartoon on the subject. Jim Phillips of SBS Associates sent me this oldie that he found in a file. Anyone know where it originated?
This Old Marketing
Along with Joe Pulizzi, Robert Rose hosts a weekly podcast called This Old Marketing, and this week's podcast mentioned iDigHardware and the community we have created here!
Revised Code Reference Guide!
The new code reference guide is here! Each year, thousands of people receive a hard copy or electronic download of our code reference guide. When a new edition of a code or standard becomes available, I incorporate any necessary changes...
Architexts – Lost Code Book
This is why I use PDF code books!
What is this?
Instead of Wordless Wednesday, I need some help identifying a product. It's in a detention facility. If you know the manufacturer, model number, and/or purpose, leave a comment!
Keep Your ‘I’ on BIM, William Lawliss
This article by my coworker, Bill Lawliss, appeared in last month's issue of Doors & Hardware magazine. In case you're not a subscriber and are interested in BIM, I'm sharing it here (or you can download the reprint here)...
Allegion Support
I receive lots of questions daily. Usually they are code questions, but I also receive questions about our products. To help you find answers to some of the product questions more quickly, I have added links to some Allegion support resources in the right sidebar. -->
Hardware Finishes
When I worked for a hardware distributor back in the 80's, I had a secret hiding place where I kept my prized possessions...including a small cardboard "book" that contained samples of each of the common finishes used for hardware. I had to keep it hidden, because people were always trying to steal it, or rip out the little metal pieces to send as finish samples...
Certified Product Directories
Have you ever been working on a specification or submittal and needed to find out whether a particular product was certified, or listed for a certain application? Maybe the plans show an oversized fire door and you need to see if your preferred manufacturer has tested a door of the proper size...
FF: iDH Subscriptions
I realize that almost-daily emails from me might be too much for some people, so we Fixed-it. There is now a weekly notification available, which will send you 1 email per week, on Friday afternoon, with a list of that week's posts...
Fire Walls
Photos of the collapsed buildings show what appear to be fire walls between each of the adjoining buildings, which may have provided some protection from the explosion and resulting fire. The term "fire wall" is often misused...
PSA – 9-volt Batteries
This is not door-related, but consider it a public service announcement that shows how much I care about you. I don't know how common this is, but I did confirm that a 9-volt battery can be used to start a fire and improper storage has led to several residential fires. If we proactively replace our smoke detector batteries and store the partially-used batteries until they are recycled, we need to take precautions to avoid the situation in the video below.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – Bentonville, Arkansas
Almost exactly 7 years ago I began working on one of my most beautiful and challenging projects - the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. I remember the start date because I had just returned from leave after having my youngest daughter. The architect contacted me many months prior and asked me to act as the hardware consultant on the project, and to be honest, I didn't want to do it. I already had several "high-maintenance" projects on my desk, and with most of those fancy, prestigious projects, you also get frustrations and headaches. You get architects with door-related ideas that have never been attempted...gigantic doors, openings that are invisible (codes be damned), doors made out of unusual materials, sliders that slide with the touch of a finger and no sound, and security applications that require variances from the local AHJ. It was during one of those projects that I first stated, "Sorry, I left my magic wand in the car." On another I earned the nickname "the anti-fairy godmother" because I told an architect that the doors in his interior elevation would not look the way he had drawn them because of code-drive hardware requirements.
Stats
I don't usually post twice in one day, but I wanted to share today's stats (so far). Zombies are obviously a very popular topic!
Opportunities!
It's hard to believe, but this week was my 19th anniversary with Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. I started out with the independent manufacturers' rep, MPS Sales, representing several of the IR product lines, and in 2001 we all joined the company as direct employees.
CONSTRUCT: Help me decide!
On September 24th I'll be heading down to Nashville for the CONSTRUCT show, and I need some help with a decision! We had planned to offer 2 different classes Wednesday and Thursday of that week, but the schedule was printed with the same topic (codes!) for both sessions. So help me decide...would you prefer 2 code classes as the schedule shows, or should we stick with 1 on codes, 1 on access control and advertise the schedule change on-site?
On the Road Again
On Monday I'm headed to ISC-West in Las Vegas for a few days...will I see any of you there? And in a few weeks I'm making my first-ever trip to Missouri AND Kansas! If you're in the area, I'll be playing Code Jeopardy with the MO KAN Chapter of DHI on April 25th in Kansas City, and debuting my new game-show presentation - Decoded: 1 vs. 100, on April 26th in Overland Park, Kansas.
IDH-IHH is 4 years old!
I can hardly believe that it has been 4 years since I wrote the very first post on this site. What's most amazing to me is that even though I have posted at least 3 times per week, for a total of 759 published posts to date, I still have a long list of topics to write about. We've always known that hardware is complicated, but who knew I could write about it 759 times and still have something to say?
Are you a CDT yet?
I have quite a few letters after my name. They won't all fit on my business card, and my email signature looks silly if I include all of them. There are some that I can use just for joining an organization and paying my annual membership fee, which seems too easy. But I proudly display the designations for the certifications I've achieved, because they all represent many years of experience, hours of studying, and rigorous tests. When someone sees my business card or email signature for the first time, they often key in on the designations they're familiar with. Those certifications immediately communicate that I have some level of knowledge about the topic - that I made the investment to achieve the certification. Obviously the letters don't say everything about who I am, but they help with the first impression and then it's up to me.
Decoded: What do you know? (February 2013)
This post was printed in the February 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
Recent Announcement from Ingersoll Rand
A few weeks ago, Ingersoll Rand announced plans to spin off the combined commercial and residential security businesses into a new standalone publicly held company. I immediately started getting calls and emails from blog readers asking what this meant to me and to our other employees, the brands, and this website. One hardware distributor said, “I can’t imagine the hardware business without Schlage, LCN, and Von Duprin in it!” I was very touched by the concern for our people and products.