Code Implications for Mechanical Hardware
Locksmiths are often called upon to increase security at an existing door or replace hardware that is damaged or defective. There are several code-related issues to note before getting started...
FF: Fire Exit Hardware Modification
Fire doors are required to have an active latchbolt, so fire exit hardware (panic hardware for fire doors) is not equipped with a mechanical dogging mechanism that could be used to hold the latch retracted. When the lack of dogging creates an inconvenience, creative modifications sometimes occur. The added slidebolt on this fire exit hardware will prevent the fire door from functioning properly during a fire. I wonder what the insurance company would have to say about that.
More from NYC
I'm busy preparing to start my next online Decoded course today, so here's a quick post with some more photos from my trip to New York City. Most of my friends are still wondering why I took so many photos of doors - I did it for YOU! :)
FF: Creative Pair Modification
This one goes out to my friends at Von Duprin Tech Support...I don't think I've ever seen this particular modification before. How about you?...
FF: Airport Cart Protection
These doors are fire doors and also a marked exit, so a) replacing the fire exit hardware with surface bolts negates the positive latching, b) the rim strike that has been installed with the rim panic is not acceptable for use on a fire door, c) the guide rails prevent the inactive leaf from opening...
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...
Guide to the ADA Standards – Chapters 1-3
Keys are a tough topic to address, because the accessibility standards mandate operable hardware which does not require tight grasping, tight pinching, or twisting of the wrist to operate. Keys obviously require tight grasping, tight pinching, and twisting of the wrist...
WW: Restaurant Exit
This illustrates why I disagree with "bending the rules" to allow non-code-compliant security devices to be used "after-hours." When the fire marshal agrees to something like this, the compromise would typically come with a qualifier...
FF: School Cafeteria and Gym
These photos illustrate one school's "fix" with regard to security on the cafeteria and gymnasium - unfortunately it happens to be completely non-code-compliant...
Las Vegas Encore
I'm in Las Vegas at ISC-West (come visit me in Allegion booth #20031 if you're here!), so I won't have time to write a post for today, but in case you missed my previous photos of the doors of Las Vegas...
WW: Vertical Rod Repair
When I look at a photo and can't come up with the right thing to say, I know it needs to be posted for Wordless Wednesday...like this one from Kevin Taylor of Allegion...
Decoded: Operable Force for Door Hardware (Updated December 2017)
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, effective in March of 2012, included an unexpected change regarding the maximum allowable force to operate door hardware...
WW: Mall Security
This mall exit was spotted by William Hoppe of UC Merced, and the photos were sent to me by Chad Jenkins of the National Locksmithing Institute. Unbelievable...
Throwback Thursday – Reed Exit Device
I don't recall ever seeing this type of device in person and I didn't find any information online, so I went to my go-to resource - three treasured books by Adon Brownell, HAHC. And in the Architectural Hardware Specifications Handbook (1971), I found it - the hinged crossbar...
WW: School Security
The Wordless Wednesday Winner is Logan Piburn, from Dyron Murphy Architects! Logan sent me LOTS of photos, and explained that these were taken at various rural schools, most built in the early 70's and still in use today. The photos were taken during surveys to identify existing problems and plan renovations.
Shorty Panics
When panic hardware is installed, the actuating portion of the panic hardware must "extend at least one-half of the door leaf width." I have been taught since my first days in hardware school, that this means the width of the touchpad or crossbar has to measure at least half the width of the door. But lately I've had a couple of situations where someone interpreted this in a different way...
Decoded: Annual Inspection of Egress Doors (April 2014)
This post was published in the April 2014 issue of Doors & Hardware
WW: Service Call
"What seems to be the problem? Oh."
Reader Photos
Here's a big group of reader photos from the emailbox!
FF: Rodless
Instead of maintaining the fire exit hardware on this pair of fire doors, the rods and most of the latches were removed and an exit alarm was installed. The most disturbing part is that there are doors like this EVERYWHERE...fire doors and egress doors that will no longer perform as designed, tested, and required by code, because of lack of maintenance or improper modifications. And without widespread adoption of the fire and egress door inspection requirements, we're left to address these problems one door at a time. In each fatal fire the main focus seems to always be on sprinklers, but compartmentalization is key to preventing the spread of smoke and flames. It goes without saying that code-compliant egress is a life safety feature which can't be compromised.
WW: “Leave them LOCKED!”
In case you have a hard time reading the sign on the LHR leaf, it says "Please do not use these doors. Leave them LOCKED!" :(
FF: Polar Vortex
I live just outside of Boston and I'm so tired of the cold winter weather we've had this year. I went to a meeting last week and the entrance to the meeting room was from an interior corridor, but there was an exterior door at the end of the corridor nearby. I noticed that the closer on the interior door had an allen wrench stuck in the adjustment valve. I asked someone who worked in the facility why it was there (like I didn't know), and he told me that they leave it there permanently because they have to adjust the closer every time the outside temperature gets above or below a certain point. Otherwise, on cold days the interior door to the meeting room creeps closed, letting in the colder air from the corridor, and on warmer doors the door slams shut. LCN's all-weather fluid (supplied standard), would have helped here...it will maintain the same viscosity for temperatures between 120 degrees F and -30 degrees F, so seasonal adjustment is not required.
Variable Door Thickness
I've specified hardware for A LOT of doors. Thousands. But I've never worked on a door like this one, where the door thickness varied from top to bottom. When you have a door with an unusual thickness, you need to consider the interface between the lever trim/control, the lock body, and the panic hardware, along with the length of the fasteners and cylinder. With a mortise lockset or a mortise panic like this Von Duprin 5575 device, the location of the lock body within the door thickness factors into the equation. For example, if it was a 3" thick door but the lock body was installed at the push side face of the door, only the connection between the lever and the lock body would need to be addressed. If the lock body was installed at the pull side face of the door, only the connection between the lock body and the panic hardware would need to be addressed. If the lock was centered in the door thickness, both connections would be affected, as below.
FF: Random Creativity
If any of you attended DHI's AH2 class in Savannah, Georgia back in the Good Old Days, you may have had one of my all-time favorite instructors - Bob Jutzi. I actually use a lot of his techniques when I teach, to try to make my classes more engaging and dare I say "fun"? I don't have a flat-cat Earl, but I still have the monkey from my AH2 class (and a monkey arm from another year). Bob sent me the photos below so if you want to leave him a "howdy" you can do so in the comments.
Reader Photos and Help Wanted
The photos from readers have piled up in my inbox again - thank you to everyone who has submitted them! I will post more next week and try to get the pile under control. I've also had a couple of requests for help...
Doors of River Street – Savannah, Georgia
Before anyone says, "Why didn't you stop and see me??", we were only in Savannah for a quick lunch break. :)
WW: Pool Access and Egress
Happy New Year!!!
FF: Exit Alarm
I just realized that this post had not been published yet...but it's still Friday! Enjoy the weekend!
WWYD? Museum Gates
I'm looking for some ideas to help a designer with the gates in the sketches below. Here’s the scenario:
WW: Overlapping Astragal
Last week on The Building Code Forum, one of the members mentioned that their local police department recommended the installation of overlapping astragals on the exterior pairs at their schools. This left me WORDLESS! It definitely feels like 2 steps forward - 1 step back some days.
WWYD? Connecting Classroom Doors
Many classrooms have a door connecting to the adjacent classroom. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since most classrooms do not require a second means of egress, I think those doors are typically there for convenience. I tried to find something in past codes that would have required the second door, but so far I only see the requirement for a second means of egress when the occupant load reaches 50 or more. (Note: There are some situations where a classroom may need to have a second means of egress because it is not located on the ground floor.)
FF: What Happened Here?
For the record, I DO know what happened here...do you? I've only seen this one other time in my travels. This photo is from Lloyd Seliber of Keying Solutions from Macau, China.
Reader Photos
It's been a while, so here are some of the many photos I've received from y'all...
Reader Photos
It's time to clean out my inbox again! Here are some of the reader photos I've received. Thanks to all who sent them!
WWYD? Gate with Access Control and Panic Hardware
Here's a tough one...
WW: Velcro Dogging
In a brand-spanking-new huge and beautiful convention center, these attracted a lot of attention and MANY people mentioned them to me last week. The panics have hex-key dogging, so I have no idea why they've resorted to wide-scale use of velcro. Speaking of dogging...last night I went to an evening meeting at a school, and the teacher used her key to let us in the main exterior door. Once inside, she turned to face the door opening and said, "Ok - there's a trick...where is it?" Then she spied the small end of an allen wrench sticking out of a hole in the frame about 6 feet up, pulled it out, dogged the panic, and stuck the wrench back in the hole. Very high-tech. The funny thing is...the other leaf of the pair has an electric latch retraction device; all they need is a switch at the door to dog it.
WW: Creative Dogging
Although this isn't a code violation since the doors are not fire rated, I firmly believe that failing to limit the ability to lock / unlock doors can severely impact security and the safety of building occupants. What say you?
Decoded: Panic Hardware on Electrical Rooms (November 2013)
This post was printed in the November 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
WW: Push-Pull-Panic
Cory Yamaguchi of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this photo of an egress door he saw on an outing to the local dairy farm with his family. I'm picturing a farm that hosts lots of visitors, not the type where the cow:human ratio is 100:1. In addition to the creative application of pull handles, there are loops up at the top (one looks like it's missing) if they need a little extra security. If you're just tuning in, this is not code-compliant.
Reader Photos
Thank you to everyone who has sent me photos of doors they've seen in their travels (or while laying on the couch). Kelly Chimilar from Allmar Inc. noticed these doors with an obvious egress problem while watching Thursday Night Football. If you don't know what the problem is, I will hold a special online study session for you after work tonight. ;)
WW: Panic Hardware Protection
Assuming this is the back door of a restaurant, what's wrong with these pictures sent in by Eric Miles of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies (other than the fact that the door is filthy!)?
The Ballad of Carl Prinzler
Do you know who Carl Prinzler was? Does the name ring a bell? Carl worked in the door hardware industry back in the early 20th century, and was instrumental in developing the first exit device along with his employer, Vonnegut Hardware Company and his neighbor, Henry DuPont. Recently Peter Wilson of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies came across a poem by Misha Burnett called The Ballad of Carl Prinzler, and sent me the link. I couldn't imagine who (besides me) would write a poem about Carl Prinzler, so I emailed Misha. He is a university locksmith and while taking a poetry class he also attended a Von Duprin training class and learned about the invention of the first panic hardware after the tragic fire at the Iroquois Theater, which inspired him to write the Ballad of Carl Prinzler.
WW: Deadlocking Latch
Tim Kaye of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this photo of a required egress door in a school, which truly left me wordless. :(
Decoded: Tactile Warning
This post was printed in the June 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
WW: Powerbolts
This opening is secured by power bolts, which are released via the wall switch. The panic hardware is just for show...there's no way for the devices to latch without a mullion. :(
WW: Public Safety Building
Vincent Chestnut of Alpha Locksmith spotted this problem on a visit to a local public safety building. Not only does the door require two motions to unlatch, the thumbturn on the combination lock doesn't look like it would be considered accessible.
WW and WWYD: Panic Hardware Lockdown
Andrew Harris of Willis Klein sent me these photos of doors in a school district. He had been called in to solve the problems that caused the school to resort to these locking measures.
Operational Force for Hardware
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, effective in March of 2012, included an unexpected change regarding the maximum allowable force to operate door hardware. This modification to the standards was made as an "editorial change," which is typically used to address errors or make clarifications that do not affect the scope or application of the code requirements. Editorial changes do not go through the normal code development process including committee hearings and opportunities for public comment.