QQ: Egress Courts
This Quick Question came up recently in relation to the IBC section addressing egress for exterior spaces: Would the enclosed courtyard in my building be considered an egress court?
QQ: Dummy Trim on Pairs of Doors
Today's Quick Question was sent to me by a contractor: On a pair of doors, is it acceptable to install a dummy lever on the inactive leaf if that door is equipped with flush bolts?
QQ: “Special” Hinges on Fire Door Assemblies
Today's Quick Question is a good one: Are "special" hinges like swing clear, wide throw, raised barrel, etc., acceptable for use on fire door assembles?
QQ: Fire Exit Hardware Mounting Height
Today's Quick Question: If the permitted mounting height for operable hardware is between 34 inches and 48 inches above the floor, does this range also apply to fire exit hardware?
QQ: Delayed Egress Signage
My Fixed-it Friday photos from last week raised a great "Quick Question"...Is braille signage required for doors that are equipped with delayed egress locks?
QQ: Crossbar Panic Hardware
Today's Quick Question came up again last week: Do current model codes prohibit the use of crossbar style panic hardware? What are you seeing in the field?
QQ/WWYD? Self-Closing Doors on Individual Restrooms
I'm finally writing this post so I can find the answer quickly next time...today's Quick Question is this: Are doors serving single occupancy restrooms required to be self-closing?
QQ: Codes vs. Standards
Today's Quick Question: When a model code references a standard, and the two documents include different requirements, which publication takes precedence?
QQ: Electrified Locks and Accessibility
An interesting Quick Question showed up last week: Do the accessibility standards mandate an extended amount of unlock time for electronic locks, to accommodate people with disabilities?
QQ Follow-Up: Door/Hardware Contrast
Today's Quick Question: Do the model codes require a certain amount of contrast between the releasing hardware and the door, so the hardware is distinguishable for egress purposes?
QQ: Hardware Finish and Accessibility
This Quick Question hit my inbox last week, regarding the matte black finish: Do the accessibility standards include requirements related to the finish (color) of door hardware?
QQ: Modifying UL Listed Products
Today's Quick Question was prompted by a recent post about a continuous hinge retrofit on a fire door: If a UL Listed product is modified in the field, does this void the listing?
QQ: Empty Silencer Holes
Today's Quick Question: On a fire door assembly where adhesive smoke gasketing is installed, is it acceptable to have open silencer holes under the gasketing?
QQ: Continuous Hinges on Existing Fire Doors
Today's Quick Question: When a continuous hinge is installed on an existing fire door assembly, the labels on the fire door and frame are often covered by the hinge. How should this be handled?
QQ: Component Materials for Fire Door Assemblies
Today's Quick Question came up recently with regard to the materials of components used on fire door assemblies: Are all products installed as components of a fire door assembly required to be made of steel?
QQ: Dogging Feature on Pool Gates
Today's Quick Question: Is it acceptable by code to supply the dogging feature on panic hardware installed on a door or gate serving a swimming pool enclosure? What do you think?
QQ: Pocket Door Pulls
A Quick Question came up the other day about the door pulls used for sliding doors, including pocket doors: Where in the codes or standards does it specify the required amount of clearance around the surface-mounted pull handle?
QQ: Product Certification to Codes and Standards
This Quick Question has come up quite often over the years - I was shocked to find that I had not yet answered it here: Is XYZ product certified as compliant with NFPA 101 (or any other model code)?
QQ: Locks on Patient Room Doors
I recently received this Quick Question from a locksmith at a university medical center: On patient room doors in a hospital, is it code-compliant to install traditional classroom function locksets which allow free egress from the room?
QQ: Roller Strike Projection Into The Clear Opening
Yesterday I shared an updated Decoded article on clear opening width and height, and this Quick Question was raised: Does the projection of a surface-mounted strike for rim panic hardware affect the clear width of a door opening?
QQ: Fail Secure Electrified Hardware
Today's Quick Question is one that comes up frequently with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs): When fail secure electrified hardware is installed on an exit door, how is egress accomplished during a power failure?
QQ: Break Out / Break Away
Today's Quick Question: Under what circumstances does an automatic sliding door require the break out / break away feature, allowing the sliding door to swing in the direction of egress during an emergency?
QQ: Locking Interior Stairway Doors
Today's Quick Question about stairwell reentry has come up several times in recent weeks: Is it acceptable by code to install fail safe electrified locks on interior stairway doors in a 5- or 6-story building?
QQ: Unequal Leaf Pair – Follow-Up
On Tuesday I answered a Quick Question about panic hardware on an unequal leaf pair, which led to another question from several readers: Can the smaller leaf of an unequal leaf pair be equipped with flush bolts instead of panic hardware?
QQ: Panic Hardware on Unequal Pairs
I received this Quick Question the other day, and it has been a while since I've written about this topic: Is it acceptable to install panic hardware on a 2-foot-wide door that is part of a 5-foot-wide unequal leaf pair?
QQ: Panic Hardware on Electrical Rooms
Today's Quick Question: If an electrical room is required to have outswinging doors with panic hardware, does this requirement apply to all of the doors that are part of the means of egress between the electrical room and the public way?
QQ: Health Care Corridor Door vs. Smoke Barrier Door
Today's Quick Question has come up several times lately with regard to the code requirements for hospitals, nursing homes, and similar types of facilities: What is the difference between a "corridor door" and a "smoke barrier door" in a health care occupancy?
QQ: Locked Stairwell Doors
Several people have asked the same Quick Question this week: Is it permissible by code for stairwell doors in schools to be locked during a lockdown? The answer is in today's post.
QQ: Accessibility for Pairs or Banks of Doors
This is a great Quick Question, and I got some help from the US Access Board with the answer: When there is a pair of doors or a bank of doors, do ALL leaves have to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)?
QQ: Fire Alarm Release of Electrified Locks
I have written about this topic from various angles, but this Quick Question keeps coming up: Is it code-compliant to have an electrified lock that is normally locked on the egress side, if it unlocks automatically upon fire alarm activation?
QQ: Special Locking Arrangements
Today's Quick Question came from an AHJ: When I am evaluating a door that is equipped with a special locking arrangement, do the model code requirements for normal locking arrangements also apply?
QQ: Places of Detention or Restraint
When there is a desire to lock a door in the direction of egress for security reasons, today's Quick Question is often raised: During a lockdown, is a room or area considered a place of detention and restraint?
QQ: Spring Hinges on Fire Doors
Today's Quick Question has come up dozens of times: Can spring hinges be installed on a fire door that is larger than 3'-0" x 7'-0"? NFPA 80's table shows that as the maximum size, but is that the final answer?
QQ: Adding/Enlarging Vision Panels in Fire Doors
This Quick Question has come up a few times lately: In an existing fire door, can a vision panel be added or enlarged in the field, assuming that the correct glazing is installed? Have you had experience with this modification?
QQ: Low Energy Operator / A156.10 Application
Today's Quick Question: Can a low energy automatic operator that is certified to BHMA A156.19 be installed on a door that is required to comply with BHMA A156.10? What do you think?
QQ: Dwelling Unit Entry Door Fire Rating
With all of the recent attention on fire door assemblies in residential occupancies, today's Quick Question has come up several times: How is the required fire rating for apartment entry doors determined?
Update! QQ: Mag-Lock / Panic Hardware Clarification
There is a change coming in the 2024 IBC related to doors that are required to have panic hardware and are also equipped with electromagnetic locks. I have updated the past post on this topic to include the change.
QQ: Fire Door Assembly With Transom Panel
Today's Quick Question: In our facility there is a mechanical room where we need a removable transom panel in a fire door assembly, to allow for the occasional replacement of equipment that won't fit through a 7-foot door. Is this possible?
QQ: Security Gates on Multi-Stall Restrooms
Today's Quick Question: Is it code-compliant to install security grilles on multi-stall restroom entrances in schools, to prevent the use of the restrooms during times when they are not supervised?
QQ: Pairs of Corridor Doors in Health Care Facilities
Today's Quick Question: On a pair of non-fire-rated corridor doors in a health care facility, is one automatic flush bolt required for the inactive leaf, or are two bolts required (top and bottom)?
QQ: Rearming a Delayed Egress Lock
Quick Question: For delayed egress locks, the model codes require the activation of the 15-second timer to be an irreversible process. Is it acceptable for an authorized person with a key or credential to rearm the lock during the 15-second period?
QQ: Roller Latch vs. Roller Strike
I received a Quick Question last week that has come up before: What is the difference between a roller latch and a roller strike? Are both prohibited on fire door assemblies?
QQ: Delayed Egress Mag-Locks
Last week I posted a photo that was submitted by Bruce Gill of North Central Supply as part of the 3,000-post celebration, and the photo raised a few Quick Questions about the mag-lock...
QQ: Fire Door Alterations
A quick question came up yesterday during a code update class, as I was talking about a change to NFPA 80: Can a rectangular or oblong hole be prepped in an existing fire door in the field?
QQ: Circulation Paths
Yesterday's post about protruding objects raised a related Quick Question: The IBC section addressing limitations on protruding objects references projections into "circulation paths." What is a circulation path?
QQ: Fire-Exit Bolt
Last week I wrote about fire doors vs. fire exits, and I mentioned that I would try to change/clarify the Merriam-Webster definition for "fire-exit bolt." I received this Quick Question: What IS a fire-exit bolt?
QQ: Impact Doors and the ADA
Last week I posted some photos sent to me by a retired fire marshal, and one of them reminded me of a Quick Question that I've received several times lately: Do impact doors have to comply with the accessibility standards?
QQ: Conflicts in the Codes and Standards
Today's Quick Question is a good one...When a specific requirement stated in a referenced standard is in conflict with what is allowed by the code that is referencing the standard, which requirement applies?
QQ: Louvers in Fire Doors
I've been asked today's quick question three times in the last two weeks, so I have updated the post with the references from the current codes. Is it acceptable by code to install a louver (fusible link or other type) in a fire door?
QQ: Hospital On-Call Rooms
Today's Quick Question: Can on-call rooms in a hospital have occupancy indicator deadbolts that are separate from the latchsets, or do these doors have to unlatch with one releasing motion?