WWYD? Egress Doors Serving Exterior Spaces
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?
See you in New Orleans!
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!
Lots of options this week!
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!
WWYD? Keyed Removable Mullion
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...
FF: Egress Deterrent
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.
WW: Positive Latching??
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??
Security in 30: Is your opening as secure as you think?
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!
Back in the Saddle
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.
FF: Double-Sided Tape?
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!
Last Call for the 2021 Model Code Update!
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!
Securing Exterior Spaces (and more!)
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!
Coming Soon: Automatic Operators on Accessible Public Entrances
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?
What’s new? I’m going to tell you!
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?
WW: Just a little off the side
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.
What’s on tap for this week?
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...
FF: Hold the Line
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.
WW: Less-Bottom-Rod (LBR) Single?
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?
Virtual Vacation Week
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!
QQ: Panic Hardware Exception
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?
WWYD? Delayed Egress
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?
One More Allegion 101 (and 4 other classes)!
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!
WW: Cuchillo de Mesa
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!
WWYD? Stairwell Pair with Access Control (video)
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?
Lots of code-related classes this week!
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!
Product Update: Von Duprin Emergency Secure Lockdown (ESL)
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.
Coming up this week…
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!
WW: Down at the Shooting Range
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.
FF: Just a few washers
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.
FF: Classroom “Exit”
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.
WW: Covid Vaccination Site Exits
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.
FF: Hold onto those hold opens.
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.
Distance Learning this Week
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.
Apply It: Swimming Pool – Answers
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!
FF: F-F-F-Freezing
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?
Apply It: Swimming Pool
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.
WW: I’m at a loss for words.
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 – Standard for Door Hardware Single Motion to Egress
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...
QQ: Paddle Latch
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?
Change of Plans
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...
FF: Something’s Amiss
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.
FF: Bottom Bolt
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.
FF: Strikeout
Harry Porosky of Integrated Openings Solutions sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo. This looks like it's going to be a pretty expensive fix.
School Safety: Preparing for a post-pandemic world
Safe Schools Week is nearly here and we have a fantastic webinar coming up, along with 4 more sessions from our national trainers on Webinar Wednesday, and the next Security in 30!
Apply It: Mosque Exits – Answers
Here are the answers to Tuesday's real-world questions about the egress requirements for this mosque in Dubai. Read the other post first if you want to give it a try.
Apply It: Mosque Exits
It's one thing to read an article or watch a video about code requirements for doors and hardware, but how about applying what you've learned using a real project?
Code Update: Opening Force vs. Operable Force
The 2021 editions of the model codes have been modified, separating the limitations on the force used to open the door from the force used to operate the hardware.
WW: Weight-ing to Exit
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo shows a university weight room, where students allegedly "modified" the hardware so that the door would not be lockable.
FF: Veterinary Office Security Fix
It still amazes me that people with seemingly no understanding of the code requirements will make modifications to their doors that could result in injury or even death.
FF: Auditorium Fire Exit Hardware
If your fire exit hardware shows up on the job-site without the dogging feature, there's a good reason for that. Homemade dogging is not a valid fix!
WW: E for Effort
Someone really went to a lot of trouble to turn this door from "exit" to "no exit", but they missed a few things. Like checking in with the local fire marshal.