I recently posted an episode of DoorTalk, where Austin Watson of Warren Doors & Access Control and I were talking about how iDigHardware came about. We also recorded a couple of episodes about changes to the 2021 model codes. Here's Part 1!
This is a quiet week for training because of the holiday, but there is a very informative webinar coming up next week, presented by Melany Whalin and Connie Alexander of Allegion. The webinar offers continuing education credit for AIA, and registration is open!
These doors are serving an assembly occupancy - a museum that receives more than 1 million visitors per year. What do you think? Would you consider these doors "readily distinguishable" and "easily recognizable"? Ok, or No Way?
Coming up this week: The next Security in 30 session for integrators, two more Webinar Wednesday classes covering electrified hardware, Door Drills on access control and the Von Duprin 98/99 series, and Allegion 101 on LCN - take your pick!
I have a 3-hour pair of hollow metal doors that requires an overlapping astragal in order to comply with the manufacturer's listings. Both leafs have vertical rod fire exit hardware. How do I avoid an egress conflict?
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos may look familiar to a few of you. Note the exit sign over the door to the small room, the swing of the doors, and the egress situation once in that room.
I truly believe this...knowledge empowers each of us. I often find when I'm teaching about codes, that people believe something to be true that they learned 20 years ago. But things change, and it's crucial that we keep up with what's new in the industry.
If you're not familiar with Manufacturing Day, it's an annual series of events aimed at helping to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech and high-paying manufacturing jobs over the next decade. Check out our US facilities in this video!
"The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety." ~ Josh Waitzkin
The balcony in these photos is located in a conference center. It's not too high above grade, so yes - you could jump off, but generally that's not how the egress requirements work. What would you do?
I'm heading south today after teaching a class in Knoxville, and tomorrow I'll be arriving at the DHI conNextions conference in New Orleans. I'm teaching my brand new 1 vs. 100 class on Thursday, October 21st at 8 a.m. I hope to see you there!
I'm making my way around the Southeast, heading for my final destination - the DHI conNextions conference in New Orleans. I'll be teaching my brand new 1 vs. 100 class on Thursday, October 21st at 8 a.m. Meanwhile, there are lots of classes on the schedule for this week!
Today is the second day of a 3-week work trip for me, where I will be doing a lot of training and attending two conferences. In a perfect world, I would have already written and scheduled 3 weeks worth of blog posts...
I recently noticed this door in the new fancy grocery store in town. I've seen these plastic tabs to deter egress before, but I've never found any specifics on them - for example, a limit on how much force it takes to break them in order to exit.
Rit Bellefleur of Accurate Commercial Door & Hardware Services, LLC sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo. This is a fire door in a school, and the bottom latch clearly serves no purpose. What's the point??
From basic hardware to the intricacies of Schlage SUS for AD locks, security pain points and potential vulnerabilities, clear width and maneuvering clearance, auto operator setup and troubleshooting...you have plenty of opportunities to learn this week!
I hope everyone who celebrated a holiday yesterday had a nice long weekend - we're back in the saddle today! This week there are several classes available on electrified hardware, and a Door Drills class on the Von Duprin 98/99.
I can't tell if the attempt to repair this panic hardware incorporated double-sided tape, Command Strips, or something else. Whatever the method, it was unsuccessful!
My webinar addressing the changes to the 2021 model codes is this Thursday, August 26th! If you need to know what's new (don't we all?), join me at 11am or 2pm Eastern. And we have other great classes this week to choose from!
Have you ever run into the problem of needing to secure a door serving an enclosed courtyard, but also needing to provide free egress from the courtyard through the interior of the building? There's finally a code-compliant solution!
Because of a change to the 2021 International Building Code, we will soon see an increase in the number of automatic doors required for some types of buildings. Are you prepared?
On Thursday, August 26th, I will be hosting a webinar covering some of the important changes to the 2021 editions of the International Building Code (IBC) and NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code. Are you up to speed on what's new?
Today's Wordless Wednesday door is located in a hockey rink, and it looks like the panic hardware was mounted too close to the door edge because the opening has a removable mullion. This was the installer's solution.
I can't believe how quickly time is flying by! 2021 is more than half over and so is summer. In two weeks I have a kid heading back to college and I'll finish my 54th year around the sun. And there's more...
Kevin Latimer of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and while this hold-open method gets some points for creativity and cost-effectiveness, it will eventually have a negative impact on the panic hardware.
Given the added expense and maintenance issues that can come with vertical rod panic hardware, I can't think of a reason why someone would use a vertical rod device on a single door. Can you?
This is one of my favorite work weeks of the year, when lots of people are on vacation, and I can catch up on a few things. I'm currently updating my ShortCodes classes - I'll let you know when they're ready!
Today's Quick Question: Does the 2021 IBC section addressing the locking of exterior spaces allow panic hardware to be omitted on doors serving exterior assembly spaces with an occupant load of 50 people or more?
I received this photo of a bank of doors with delayed egress panic hardware from Jim Elder of Secured Design LLC, and we got to chatting about some delayed egress questions. I'd love to hear what you think. WWYD?
I know last week I said it was the conclusion of Allegion 101 (that's what the schedule said!) but there's one more session on the calendar for this week, and there are 4 classes available on Webinar Wednesday!
This dogging method was found in a Mexican restaurant, hence the post title which sounds fancy but means "table knife." :) Thanks to Dave Toloday of Allegion for sharing today's Wordless Wednesday photo!
I'm wondering what you think about this door opening...it's kind of an interesting one as door openings go. I have never thought about using a combination of panic hardware and a lockset with an electric strike. WWYD?
How do you identify the products that are acceptable for use in a hurricane-prone area of the country? What's the latest on classroom security devices? How do codes define panic hardware? Find out in this week's classes!
Several colleges and universities approached Allegion to find a solution for individual lockdown of doors with panic hardware and access control. For doors with Von Duprin QEL devices, the Emergency Secure Lockdown (ESL) feature is the answer.
Can a wave-to-open switch be used to actuate an automatic operator? Does the IBC allow any stairwell doors to be locked mechanically? What's new in codes for health care facilities? Find out in this week's classes!
Ben Gorton posted this photo on the page of the Facebook group called "There's no crying in hollow metal", and I just knew I had to share it (with permission) for Wordless Wednesday. This door is an emergency exit for a shooting range, and I'm #wordless.
Jason Albert posted this classic Fixed-it Friday fix on the Crap Locksmithing Facebook page. Seems pretty secure, no? I'm wondering why the installer didn't just mount the new device closer to the lock edge.
Do you see what I see in these Fixed-it Friday photos? It's hard to know whether this was done to secure these doors against intruders or to prevent elopement of young students, but either way it's a problem.
I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for this, right? Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was taken at a convention center that is currently being used as a Covid vaccination site.
This elementary school fire door "fix" is one way to keep the wedges from disappearing but might be tough to explain when the fire marshal shows up for an inspection.
The opportunities for distance learning continue, and here's what's on the docket for this week. The recording of my fire door session from last Friday is available on-demand, along with the Q&A from the session.
Last week I posted an exercise to help you apply some of your code knowledge by answering questions about swimming pool egress. Cheers to the few brave readers who gave it a shot!
When I saw this photo, I had flashbacks to all of the times architects asked me to specify doors with other materials attached to them - wood planks, decorative plates, even brick (that was a hard no). What do you think about this application?
After Tuesday's post about a code change, several people asked me how to tell when panic hardware was required for doors serving a swimming pool enclosure. I decided to create another "Apply It" post and let you work it out.
I received these photos from a code official. This pair of doors serves a large assembly space, and as you can see, the doors get a fair amount of use. The original "fix" on the LHR leaf is not all that unusual, but the extension has me scratching my head.
BHMA A156.41 is the Standard for Door Hardware Single Motion to Egress. It describes the requirements for doors and door hardware to comply with building code and fire code requirements that mandate a single releasing motion...
Today's Quick Question: In an office building with an occupant load of 400 people, is a paddle latch code compliant for the main entrance door? Or is panic hardware required?
As many of you know, I have a webinar scheduled for this Thursday, which covers the detailed requirements for delayed egress and controlled egress locking systems...
Anyone else see the problem with this Fixed-it Friday photo? Note: The photo was sent to me by an AHJ, and the situation has since been corrected.
Maybe I should go into door forensics in my retirement years (someday). I think it's so interesting to look at a door opening and try to figure out what happened.
