WWYD? Hotel Suite
How have you been specifying/supplying the hardware for hotel rooms that are sometimes used as a suite - with door closers on the individual doors, or without?
WWYD? School Security Design Trends
Please share any trends you have seen on new school projects or existing buildings...the safety of all students will benefit from shared best practices (and there's an iDigHardware Yeti travel mug up for grabs!).
WWYD? Retail Exit Routes
Are AHJs allowing retail stores to make temporary changes in their egress routes to help slow the spread of COVID-19? If yes, are there some guidelines to help ensure safe egress?
WWYD? Isolation Rooms in Health Care
I'd like to compile some information about how hardware for an isolation room is currently being specified/supplied. What are the current recommendations or requirements?
WWYD? Arched Storm/Screen Door
This is a beautiful residential door with a problem caused by the brick reveal combined with the arched top. Can you help? WWYD?
WWYD? Vestibule Pair
For aesthetic purposes, a change is being considered to the configuration of this swinging pair of doors - each leaf would be increased from 36 inches wide to 62 inches wide. WWYD?
WWYD? Memory Care “Signs”?
One side of this device is attached to the door with double-sided tape, and the other side is magnetic. It is used in a memory care facility to indicate whether a resident's room is vacant or occupied. WWYD?
WWYD? Single-User Restrooms
People often ask whether occupancy indicators are required by code on single-user restrooms. I finally have an answer - and a question that I would love to hear your thoughts on...
WWYD? Preventing Elopement
When a child with autism or an adult with dementia is living at home, it's crucial for their family to be able to deter elopement while still providing safe egress. WWYD?
WWYD? Round Vision Light
Should the mounting location for a round light be at 43 inches above the floor? Or lower to allow more viewing area? WWYD?
WWYD? Temporary Vestibules
Are the doors on these temporary vestibules required to meet the requirements of the codes and standards? If not, why not? And if yes...why are most of them non-compliant?
WWYD? Elevator Lobby – Water Intrusion
When trying to prevent water intrusion at the fire service elevator lobby doors, what type of door sweep or door bottom meets the intent of IBC Section 3007? WWYD?
WWYD? All-Glass Sliders
Originally, these doors did not need to lock, but that has changed, and the architect is looking for a way to add code-compliant locks to the doors which have already been installed. WWYD?
WWYD? Wood Door Damage
I need some help from any wood door experts out there...any theories on what might have caused the horizontal lines on these wood doors? They weren't visible until the doors were field stained.
WWYD? Gender-Inclusive Restrooms
Shared restrooms that are not segregated based on gender are becoming more common in schools, universities, and other types of facilities. What's the ideal hardware solution for these doors?
WWYD? Corrosion to the Max
Any idea what is corroding or oxidizing inside of this door - and to this extent?? I've never seen anything like it! What's the solution? WWYD?
WWYD? Performance-Based Option
Do you know of any facility that is using the performance-based option for fire door assembly inspection? I asked the Joint Commission about it...
WW: Assisted Living Fire Doors
Imagine that you are moving your mom into an assisted living facility, and you notice that the door closer on every fire-rated apartment entrance door has been disconnected...
WWYD? Unidentified Pivots
How do you replace existing pivots when you don't know the manufacturer or model number? Is there a reliable way to identify existing pivots? Are replacements for old pivots readily available? WWYD?
WWYD? Walk-In Closet
Is the door serving a walk-in closet in an apartment or condominium required to comply with the means of egress requirements of the IBC? WWYD?
WWYD? Double-Core Cylinder
I know there is someone out there reading this who can tell me more about this type of cylinder. How does it work? What's the purpose? WWYD?
Top 10 – FF: Communicating Door Closers
Many of my Fixed-it Friday posts show creative attempts at what-not-to-do, so as #6 in the Top-10 series I wanted to highlight another type of Fixed-it Friday post.
WW: Fire Door Smoke Test
Much of the work to replace deficient fire doors in London residential blocks has not been completed, so one man decided to take matters into his own hands to prove a point. Don't do this.
WWYD? Is a 15-second delay too long?
Should the model codes be modified to require immediate egress through doors with delayed egress locks during emergencies other than fires?
WWYD? Standby Power for Auto Operators
How do you provide the required standby power for an automatic operator if there isn't building-wide backup power? WWYD?
WWYD? Indicating the Active Leaf
Calling all architects...we need your help with this one! Do you indicate on the drawings which leaf of a pair should be active and which is inactive?
WWYD? Tenants Sue for Physical Keys – and Win
I can definitely see how a lock that is only controlled by a phone could be a problem, and the court agreed - the tenants now have keys. WWYD?
WWYD? Delayed Egress Pull Station
This application was found in an airport, and requires building occupants to use a pull station to initiate a delayed egress lock. Is it code-compliant?
WWYD? ‘Small Town at War Over Active-Shooter Barricades’
This is INSANITY! This is yet another example of seeking to remove the safety protocols of the adopted codes, in order to prioritize security at a perceived lower cost.
QQ/WWYD?: Old Fire Doors With 2 Hinges
Is an existing fire door assembly with 2 hinges acceptable, or should it be noted as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
WWYD? Arched Brick Opening
The fire marshal wants these stairwell doors to close more reliably than they do with the original system. Note the arched brick "frames" and the swing-clear strap hinges (cool, right??). WWYD?
WWYD? Deadbolt + Mag-Lock
Is it code-compliant to add a deadbolt to a door with a mag-lock, that can be used to lock the door during a power failure?
WWYD? NFPA 80/105 Updates
It's almost time to submit change proposals for NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 - tell me what's on your wish list and I'll see what I can do to help!
WWYD? School Security in the News
I'd love to hear your opinions on some of the recent media coverage that presents the school security industry negatively. Are they talking about US? If not, how do we make that clear?
FF: WWYD?
What would you do if you were in this situation? It's not always easy to do the right thing, but could you live with yourself if something happened?
WWYD? Hole, No Strike
On a fire door assembly, is it acceptable to drill/cut a hole in the frame for the latchbolt, and not install the strike?
WWYD? Push-to-Exit Switch
Are pneumatic switches required as the auxiliary release devices for sensor-release electrified locking systems? Or are other types of switches acceptable? Please share your insight and experience!
WWYD? Sensors for Electrified Hardware
What's the best/most reliable/most secure technology for a request-to-exit sensor in an access control system? If you have a preference, tell me why in the reply box (please).
WWYD? Library Entrance
Do these doors on a college library meet the requirements of the International Building Code (IBC)? Why or why not? WWYD if you were the AHJ?
WWYD? Frame Elevations
Someone just asked me about software for creating shop drawings, elevations, and details. It's been a really long time since I've done submittals, so I told him that I'd ask the experts - YOU!
QQ/WWYD? Door Bottom Clearance
When inspecting a fire door assembly, how do you measure the clearance at the bottom of the door when the clearance varies between the push side and the pull side?
FF: WWYD?
The director of maintenance for some nursing homes in NYC sent me this photo and asked how to avoid this problem in future installations. Any constructive suggestions?
WWYD? Auto Operator App
I recently came across an app that literally "opens doors" for people who have disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to initiate an automatic door by pushing an actuator.
WWYD? Tripping Hazard
Last week an architect asked whether there is guidance in the codes or standards regarding the mounting location/maximum height for floor-mounted door stops, to ensure that the stop is not a tripping hazard. WWYD?
WWYD? Key-Operated Surface Bolt
These doors are serving a church, and currently have key-operated deadbolts at the bottom of each leaf. The deadbolts are too low for the reverends to reach comfortably.
WWYD? Impact-Resistant Glazing/Film
The glazing goes hand-in-hand with the door hardware - even the most secure hardware can be overcome by breaking the glass.
WWYD? Bleacher Access/Egress
It seems like it must be a fairly common situation, so let me know if you have seen it before or have ideas about a solution that would be acceptable to the AHJ.
WWYD? IBC Proposal: Control Vestibules / Interlocks
BHMA has proposed a change to the 2021 IBC, to create some guidelines for interlocks - called "control vestibules" in the proposed code language. We need your help to get this right!
WWYD? How should these doors be hung?
This is a good one! What would you use to hang these doors, and what type of door closer could be used?
WWYD? Panic Hardware, No Closer?
Have you ever run across this application in the field or been asked to specify or install panic hardware on a door with no closer? What is your response to this request?