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?
WWYD? Handing for Communicating Doors
How do you "hand" a communicating door? Are the doors LH/RH? Or LHR/RHR?
WWYD? Fail Safe Access Control?
What are the considerations for an access control system in buildings that may continue to be occupied during a fire alarm?
WWYD? Truck Stop Showers
How would you handle this access-control request?
WWYD? How can we help UL spread their message?
You have all heard me talk about how important it is to sleep with your bedroom door closed at night - to benefit from the protection provided by a closed door. I've been writing about fire doors on iDigHardware for 9 YEARS(!), trying to inform as many people as possible about the purpose of fire doors, why they need to be closed and latched when a fire occurs, and what is involved with an annual fire door inspection.
WWYD? 5th/6th Screw in Closer Shoe
Should "missing" screws in a parallel-arm shoe be cited as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
WWYD? Doors on a Diagonal
ere's the owner's wish list for these auditorium doors...pull-side mounted closers, surface-mounted or easy to retrofit. The doors are mounted on a diagonal within the opening to deflect sound. The doors and frames are wood. Ideas?
WWYD? Fire Door Assembly Inspection
The extended deadline has now passed. Facilities that receive funding from Medicare and/or Medicaid must have fire door assembly inspections conducted annually and documented, with any deficiencies repaired "without delay."
WWYD? Door-Related Accidents
I ran across a video the other day, which highlights a product designed to notify people on the pull side of a door that someone is about to open it from the push side.
WWYD? Dorm-Room Doors Without Closers
I just saw an article in the Preston Blog, about a fire in a block of student apartments that was contained by a closed and latched fire door assembly in a fire barrier.
WWYD? Hinge Pin Stops
I've written specifications for many projects where the architect requested hinge-pin stops - door stops which mount on the hinge pin and are designed to stop the door when it reaches the desired open position.
WWYD? IBC Changes
This is our big chance to propose some changes to the IBC, to help make it easier to interpret, and to address new developments in products or technologies, or new safety issues that have arisen...
WWYD? Bumper Cars
Leo Lebovits of M&D Door & Hardware sent me these photos from a recent trip to an amusement park. Are these doors code-compliant for a building of this type? Why, or why not?
WWYD? Recessed Hardware in Fire Barriers
What is required when a recessed piece of hardware is to be installed in a fire barrier?
WWYD? Corrosive Environment
This lockset has been installed for a couple of months. The room is labeled "Acid" on the plans, and it is in a building that houses an indoor swimming pool...
WWYD? Fire Door Safety Week
A couple of years ago, someone called me during the UK's Fire Door Safety Week. I remember it clearly because not too many people call me these days...
WWYD? Measuring Clearance
I was contacted last week by a door and hardware distributor who has provided fire door assemblies with hollow metal frames and wood doors on a hospital project...
WWYD? Posted Occupant Load
Have you ever noticed a sign stating the maximum occupant load of a room? How about a sign stating that the maximum occupant load is 49 people? I've seen several signs stating the 49-person limit, and I recently received a question that made me ponder this...
WWYD? Courtyard Doors
In this school it appears that by preventing access to the courtyard, the school is not required to provide free egress from the courtyard...
WWYD? Single Restroom with Automatic Operator
Imagine this...you have a single restroom where the property manager wants to install an automatic operator for easier access to the restroom (or to overcome a maneuvering clearance problem)...
QQ/WWYD? Excessive Clearance on Fire Doors
The rapidly-approaching deadline for fire door inspections in health care facilities is resulting in LOTS of questions about fire door assemblies. The most FAQ in the last few weeks has been...
WWYD? Bottom Gap on Fire-Rated Frames
The application is in a building where the floors are out of level, and the fire door frames are installed with one jamb flush with the floor, leaving the other jamb with a gap...