FF: Public Restroom
I'm in Guatemala! I'm on the hunt for some beautiful and/or interesting Guatemalan doors to share with you, but until then, here are some doors from a recent trip to Phoenix...
Logan the Locksmith
Tomorrow is my birthday. Not just any birthday - my 50th! The other day someone said to me, "Don't worry! 50 is the new 70!!!" What???
FF: Deadbolt Retrofit
These photos, from Kelly Reese of Allegion, qualify for the double-whammy - Wordless Wednesday AND Fixed-it Friday. But don't worry...it is indeed Friday! Have a great weekend!
NFPA 101 Appeals and Testimony
As I've mentioned in previous posts, shortly after the NFPA Technical Meeting on June 7th, two appeals were filed. These appeals were submitted in favor of keeping the proposed changes to NFPA 101 that would allow 2 releasing operations instead of 1...
NYC – Greenwich Lock & Safe
Some of you may remember the blog post below, which I first published in 2011. Time flies! When I visited Greenwich Lock & Safe and met locksmith and artist Phil Mortillaro, he told me that there was a documentary in progress about him. The documentary is now available on PBS.org!
FF: Mystery in Maine
Here's what I know. At one time, this door was in an isolation ward that was part of a Maine psychiatric hospital campus built in 1957...
In the News…
A code inspector in Schenectady, New York has been indicted along with the building manager, in connection with a 2015 apartment fire that resulted in 4 fatalities...
FF: 4 Door Lock Gadgets (video)
One of my fire marshal pals sent me this Fixed-it Friday video. Neither of us recommending the use of these gadgets, but the dogs are super-cute and I always like to see people's lock-related inventions...
WWYD? Getting IN
The model codes are clear about egress, but what about emergency access to a building? Some codes require a key box mounted outside of the entrance that contains the keys...
FF: Flipped
This is the outside of a door leading to a single restroom in a well-known sandwich shop chain. Anybody see the problem?
WW: Wood Door Prep
This photo came from Billy Sanders of Chisholm Millwork. This is how the door arrived from the wood door manufacturer. #wordless
When Simple is Safer: The Dangers of Door Barricades in Schools – John Woestman
This article was written by John Woestman of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) and recently appeared in Locksmith Ledger...
Schlage LM9200
A couple of weeks ago I was in our office in Carmel, and I noticed something about the conference room doors. Do you see what caught my eye?
DSSF: Opening the Door to School Safety
The Door Security and Safety Foundation has announced a video and public relations campaign which stresses the importance of securing classroom doors without compromising life safety...
Dangerous Door Locks
This news report highlights a security situation that most people don't think about. While key-operated locks (keyed on the egress side) are allowed in certain locations, there are strict guidelines for their use...
QQ: Are deadbolts prohibited in a means of egress?
I've had several situations where an AHJ interpreted the term "bolt lock," used in the International Building Code (IBC), to mean a deadbolt...
WW: Touchfree
The problem with this application is the lever handle that you apparently also have to turn. What's the point of the touchfree pull when you have to touch the lever??
WW: Lockout Prevention
Sometimes a Fixed-it Friday photo is so good (or bad!) that it qualifies for Wordless Wednesday status. Ted Wightman of Allegion sent me this gem...found on a restroom door where they have apparently had one too many lockouts.
Guest Post: Motor Up Your Locks – Kenny Abell
Electrified locks using motors can offer users several advantages over solenoid technology. Do you know what the advantages are?
FF: Hygienic Handle
Alex Howe of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo of a piece of hardware he recently saw on a restroom door. Although I have never seen this product before, the plastic cover on the pull made it pretty easy to track down...
Intro to Keying Terms (video)
Last night, my oldest daughter told me that her science assignment was to explain how inclined planes are used in keys. She had researched it, and described how the pins go into the cuts on the key...
WWYD? Airborne Flour and Grease
On past kitchen projects, I addressed the potential for frequent cleaning by specifying stainless steel hardware. But floating particulates?
Decoded: Dwelling Unit & Sleeping Unit Entrance Doors
According to the International Building Code (IBC) and NFPA 101 – The Life Safety Code, most doors in a means of egress are required to unlatch with one releasing operation. One exception to this rule is when a door leads to a residential dwelling unit or sleeping unit...
Opinion: Lock Functions for Classrooms – Don Cherry
I occasionally publish a post from a guest blogger, and I just learned that sometimes the author can receive CEUs for these posts through various industry organizations. Today's post is from Don Cherry of Allegion.
FF: Captured Lever
David Toloday of Allegion sent me these photos and I had to ask - does the lever move? Was I seeing things? No - the lever does not move. Turn the key to retract the latch. I can't say that I've seen this application before...
FF: Twist Harder
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo is from Kayla Pollock of Allegion. Why fix the problem when you can just make a sign?
FF: Mismatch
This brings back that old sinking feeling that most door and hardware distributors have felt at some point. I haven't worked as a distributor for more than 20 years, but I can remember the mistakes...
Classroom Security – Latch Prevention
Schools have been able to use magnets over locking mechanisms, allowing doors to be easily opened throughout the day and still lock quickly by simply removing the magnet. But by Jan. 1, 2018, that quick fix will no longer be enough...
BBS Memo – Temporary Door Locking Devices
Here's the latest on classroom barricade devices...let me know what's happening in your state.
Locks for Multi-Stall Restrooms
According to the IBC Commentary, the purpose of this requirement is to prevent people from locking themselves in the toilet room to create a safe haven for illicit activities...
Interesting Antique Lock
Bill Elliott sent me these photos this morning. There's something interesting about this lock that he and I have not seen before. Can you figure it out?
WW: Stinger
I think this would discourage me from attempting any lock replacements! Thanks to Locksmith's Journal for this Wordless Wednesday photo!
Banned: Classroom Barricade Locks
In this age of classroom shootings, many are looking for barricade locks - a cheap and easy stopgap to bolster door security...
FF: Master-Keyed Gate
Here's how you master-key a gate without the complications of master-keying the padlocks...
Keys and the ADA
Several people have asked me recently what the Americans with Disabilities Act says about keys. Although the ADA standards address operable parts of locks - like thumbturns, keypads, turn-buttons, and of course, knobs and levers, keys are not covered by the ADA...
FF: Passage Function Retrofit
There's more than one way to change a lock function...
2018 IBC Change for Classroom Locking
THE VOTES ARE IN, and the code change proposed by BHMA to address classroom locking in the 2018 IBC has been approved as modified by public comment!
WW: Another Retail Exit
What do you think? Does this door meet the intent of NFPA 1 if the security devices are only engaged when the building is not occupied?
WWYD? Toggle Buttons
This lock function is one of several applications that may meet the technical requirements of the accessibility standards, but in reality are difficult to operate by people with certain types of disabilities. Have any of you had experience with AHJs allowing or not allowing this function?
FF: Deadbolt Retrofit
I don't like to be critical of peoples' work, but this Fixed-it Friday retrofit could use a little TLC. Thank you to Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion for thinking of me whenever he sees a problematic door. ;)
Mounting Height Alert
Just when I think I've run out of questions and potential pitfalls, one shows up in my inbox. A while back I wrote an article for Doors & Hardware, addressing the required mounting height for operable hardware. The model codes and accessibility standards require operable hardware to be mounted between 34 inches and 48 inches above the floor. I noted in the article that some states have adopted different requirements for mounting heights...
WW: Do Not Lock
I love it when non-hardwarey people send me photos of egress problems or faulty fire doors. Today's Wordless Wednesday photo is from my friend Gia Jobin, who saw this door on a university campus and recognized that there was a problem...
Embarrassing 50% Failure Rate
Quite a few people sent this cartoon to me, so I obtained permission to post it here. It looks like the "normal" people are starting to figure out the secrets of the door and hardware industry. Enjoy!
WW: Tennis, Anyone?
This Wordless Wednesday photo kind of ties in with yesterday's pool gate post. This is NOT the way to provide access control on swimming pools, tennis courts, or any other chain link gate for that matter...
Fatality Related to Roof Door
A 91-year-old man with dementia has died after wandering onto the roof of the housing authority apartment building where he lived in Batavia, New York. News reports are citing an unlocked door leading to the roof - it may have locked after the man passed through it...
WW: Classroom Security
According to Nathan Burkhardt of Opening Technologies, this church addressed their classroom security by adding shades for the vision lites, and changing the locks to office function with a turn-button. Because the kids and teachers were getting injured by the sharp turn-button design...
Reader Photos
It's been a really long time since I posted a collection of reader photos because I've been using a lot of these submissions for Wordless Wednesday and Fixed-it Friday. Here are some of the reader photos that have been patiently waiting in my inbox...
FF: School Safety “Sew-cials”
Ideally a classroom door can be locked from within the classroom without opening the door and potential exposing the teacher to an intruder in the hallway. Many schools have existing classroom function locksets, which have to be locked by inserting a key in the outside cylinder. When a district doesn't have the funding to replace the locks...
FF: Screwed Up
I didn't know whether this should be a Wordless Wednesday photo or a Fixed-it Friday photo, but it's Friday so here goes (I AM Wordless though)...
WW: Locked After-Hours
What I want to know is...why do some people think it's ok to use these locks after-hours, when the building is unoccupied? I don't see anything in the codes to support that, but it seems to be a common belief. Am I missing something?