QQ: Door Bolts on Classrooms
Today's Quick Question: Are door bolts - like the surface bolts made by commercial hardware manufacturers - allowed to secure classroom doors during a lockdown?
Today's Quick Question: Are door bolts - like the surface bolts made by commercial hardware manufacturers - allowed to secure classroom doors during a lockdown?
We're kicking off Schlage's 100th anniversary with a new video that provides a fascinating look (really!) into the history of Walter Schlage and the Schlage Lock Company - check it out!
I have seen some questionable workmanship in my career, but this has to be one of the least effective strike installations I've ever come across. Can you top it? You can submit photos using the option on the Tools menu.
Shared restrooms that are not segregated based on gender are becoming more common in schools, universities, and other types of facilities. What's the ideal hardware solution for these doors?
Can a double-cylinder deadbolt be installed on a multi-stall restroom door in an office building? Of course not! But wait...are you sure about that?
Bryce King of Allegion sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo...I guess this is one way to deal with a lockout! Send me your WW/FF photos to register to win some Yeti merch from iDH!
I'm sure you have some photos hiding in your phone that could be suitable for Wordless Wednesday, Fixed-it Friday, or to illustrate a question or problem. Submit them and you might be a winner!
If an existing lockset on a classroom door requires a teacher to open the door when locking it (potentially exposing the teacher to danger), there is a way to change the lock function at a reasonable price.
This is a "pod" in an airport, to be used by nursing moms. I've seen them myself, but the one I looked at only had the keypad lock and did not have the separate deadbolt.
I know there is someone out there reading this who can tell me more about this type of cylinder. How does it work? What's the purpose? WWYD?
Yesterday I posted a Fixed-it Friday photo even though it was Thursday, but don't worry! I saved up some FF photos during my trip to Italy, and I'm sharing them all today!
Check out this Wordless Wednesday application from our hotel in Milan. This could end badly if there is ever a fire within this area which has a handful of hotel rooms.
Continuing on the theme of Italian hotels (spoiler alert - there's another one tomorrow), what do you think of this lock on our hotel room in Montecatini?
'Enquiring' minds want to know...what was this used for? It's in the closet of an apartment building built in 1919, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Media outlets have reported that locked electronic doors hindered law enforcement response in the recent Virginia Beach shooting. Authorized access should be addressed in each facility's emergency plan.
I can definitely see how a lock that is only controlled by a phone could be a problem, and the court agreed - the tenants now have keys. WWYD?
Where do people get these ideas? #wordless
One of the things that I love most about iDigHardware is the readers' willingness to help each other. I hope you have some insight to share on these two questions.
The IBC exempts locks used only for security purposes from the mounting height requirement. The accessibility standards exempt locks operated only by security personnel. What's the difference?
When classroom doors are kept locked all the time, it can be inconvenient for teachers and for students trying to enter the classroom when the door is closed. This is one school district's solution.
Twenty years ago, I had no idea how the shooting at Columbine High School would affect our industry and my career. It was impossible to imagine that it was more than an isolated event. But here we are.
What in the world? How long could this Fixed-it Friday repair possible last?? I just love Crap Locksmithing's Facebook page!
I thought everyone in the world of hardware had already seen this video, but last night I ran across someone who hadn't, so here it is. I do feel bad for Alex, but LOCKS ROCK!
It's been a long cold winter in many parts of the US, but I think spring is on its way!
Why would a school district consider using unregulated security devices, given the associated risk and liability? The answer may surprise you.
I've seen a lot of fix-it attempts. But I don't think I have ever seen one quite like this.
I need some help tracking down this lock (if it's still available) for a current project. Have you run across anything like this before?
Is it code-compliant to add a deadbolt to a door with a mag-lock, that can be used to lock the door during a power failure?
I wonder how many people look at this door and wonder what the reasoning was behind this installation. Maybe we're the only ones.
These two videos regarding closed doors and double-cylinder deadbolts will save lives - IF you help spread the word. Who will you share this post with?
I don't think there's anything more that needs to be said, except thank you to Ian Baren of Katonah Architectural Hardware for today's Fixed-it Friday photos.
On a fire door assembly, is it acceptable to drill/cut a hole in the frame for the latchbolt, and not install the strike?
Do you know what I love even more than photos showing a door problem? Photos showing a solution! Do you have any before-and-after photos to share?
Have your friends and family started noticing hardware problems and code issues? Or do they still roll their eyes when you stop to take photos to submit for Wordless Wednesday or Fixed-it Friday?
Are turn-buttons on cylindrical locks compliant with the accessibility standards? The answer to this question is really up to the AHJ, but here are a few things to consider...
While most dwelling units and sleeping units are allowed to have hardware on the entrance door that requires two operations to unlatch, there are a couple of important considerations.
The director of maintenance for some nursing homes in NYC sent me this photo and asked how to avoid this problem in future installations. Any constructive suggestions?
During a segment of NFPA Live, Robert Solomon, Division Director of NFPA, was asked about barricade devices on egress doors.
Imagine that you work for a university, you read iDigHardware, and you find out that I'm wandering around your campus. I'm guessing there were some mixed emotions...
I love this Fixed-it Friday photo - it reminds me of my husband's efforts to secure one of our doors.
Is it just me, or does this seem questionable on several levels (encroachment, projection into the clear opening width, potential for damage)? Is this an actual product or a creative modification?
I saw this photo posted by Stephen Connor on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page, and it left me Wordless even though it's Fixed-it Friday.
Since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I have thought a lot about lock functions for classroom doors; the news reports and the testimony from Parkland teacher Stacey Lippel added some new perspective.
I'm hoping this piece sums up the concerns associated with classroom barricade devices and can be used as reference material when discussing options for school security.
Here is one state fire marshal's answer to the school security question. What do you think?
This is a classic. Gary Huizen of Huizen’s Locksmith Service posted today's Fixed-it Friday photo on iDigHardware's Facebook page, and I love it...
8 Floors - YIKES!
A few weeks ago I received a question about whether there is a limit on the number of operations required for access to a dwelling unit, in order to meet the accessibility standards.
Our last whiteboard animation video for this year will address the 2018 model code requirements for classroom security...
I know...these would not be code-compliant on the egress side of a door in the means of egress, but you have to admit they're cool. Thanks to Leo Lebovits of M&D Door & Hardware for sending me the links to these Fixed-it Friday videos!