UPDATE: I just saw a great example of a door opening that was a "fire exit," incorrectly marked as a "fire door," so I have updated this post to include new photos. Is a fire exit the same as a fire door? Are the code requirements for each of these openings the same?
Colin Watson of Allegion sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photos, and if you look closely, I think you'll be Wordless too. What is it with these restaurants and their exits??
If you are involved in conducting fire door inspections or educating people about fire doors, I have updated our laminated fire door inspection card and it's now available!
Don't worry...it's not actually November yet! But there's some training coming up next week that I don't want you to miss - including a couple of sessions that I'm presenting. I hope to see some of you there!
People always send me photos with a note saying, "I saw this door and thought of you..." I LOVE getting those messages (who wouldn't?)! And last week when I was flying home from the BHMA meetings, I saw these doors and thought of YOU! :D
The accessibility standards mandate a flush, smooth surface at the bottom of a door to avoid catching a wheelchair footpad, crutch, cane, or other mobility aid on a protrusion. Some of the most frequently-asked questions on this topic are answered in today's post.
I've received questions before about how to secure certain areas of a stadium or sports arena, and in many cases there is not a code-compliant way to do so without negatively affecting egress. Today's Wordless Wednesday photos give me chills.
After last week's focus on fire doors for Fire Prevention Week, several people asked about altering fire doors in the field. This recent article that I wrote for Locksmith Ledger covers the requirements and limitations of NFPA 80.
Today begins the annual observance of America's Safe Schools Week, and I recently spent some time with Mark Williams of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), talking about how to safely secure classroom doors. Watch our video in today's post.
Wrapping up Fire Prevention Week is our final category in the hardware set: Protect the Door. Although these are not typically the most complex components of a fire door assembly, proper product selection, installation, and maintenance are crucial.
Earlier this year, a fatal fire in a Bronx apartment building demonstrated the importance of code-compliant fire door assemblies that are closed and latched when a fire occurs. Today's post addresses NFPA 80's three categories of fire door operation.
Because fire door assemblies are such an important part of the passive fire protection system of a building, the model codes and referenced standards require fire doors to be closed and latched during a fire. Learn more in today's post.
For a fire door to close and latch reliably, it's crucial for the door to be hung properly, using architectural hinges, continuous hinges, or pivots that are correctly specified for the door size, weight, and usage.
This week I will be sharing some of the resources available on iDigHardware related to fire door assemblies, to increase awareness of the requirements of the codes and standards that help to ensure fire doors perform as designed and tested.
The wear on this lock gives us some clues that could jeopardize the access control to this space. Assuming the code has four digits, with at least one #3 and at least one #4, and no #1's, #2's, or #5's, how many possible codes would it take to find the right one to open this door?
I originally wrote this article in 2012(!), and when someone asked me a question about this topic yesterday, I noticed that the post needed an update. Current information from the model codes and NFPA 80 is now included.
I have heard people excuse non-code-compliant egress because a room is "just a storeroom" or "just a bathroom", but the model codes do not exempt these spaces from the requirements for egress.
One of the most fundamental requirements related to access control products can also be one of the most confusing - the functions of fail safe and fail secure electrified hardware. This post answers a few of the frequently asked questions related to this topic.
Where have the months gone?? It's October already! We have two Webinar Wednesdays this month, and the recording of my health care lunch and learn from last week will also be available soon.
Scott Tobias of arkaSpecs sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos of a pair of automatic doors with electric latch retraction panic hardware. I don't claim to be an expert on wiring for electrified hardware, but this doesn't look right to me. :-|
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?
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos were sent by John DeHaan, a self employed door repairman in Utah. Yet another restaurant's secondary means of egress secured with non-code-compliant hardware. :(
My next Decoded column looks at how assembly occupancies are addressed in the model codes, as well as some of the assembly-specific requirements related to door openings. Let me know if I missed anything! :)
I'm putting the finishing touches on my lunch and learn presentation for this Thursday, September 29th (1 PM Eastern). If you work with health care facilities in any capacity, this virtual session will help keep you up to date on some of the code requirements specific to these occupancies.
This photo has been in my Fixed-it Friday folder for quite a while, but with football season starting again, I went looking for it. Thank you to Lisa Goodwin Robbins of Kalin Associates for sharing it!
Over the summer, Texas schools were required to complete a list of training, assessments, and inspections, including an Exterior Door Safety Audit. Could similar assessments become standard practice for other states?
I can hear some of you saying, "But there's no exit sign above this door!" While that appears to be true, it doesn't mean the door can have non-code-compliant hardware.
This photo is a great illustration of a problem that has come up before, and I don't have a good answer. What solutions have you seen for double pairs of fire doors like this? WWYD?
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?
We have all seen retail doors with non-code-compliant security methods. This has only gotten worse with the pandemic and the current security issues in some areas of the U.S. What would you do if you saw these doors locked while the store was occupied?
Here's a little quiz question...this one caught me by surprise the first time I noticed it: Besides a communicating door between hotel rooms, where might you find a fire door that is not required to be self-closing or automatic-closing?
This Wordless Wednesday photo was taken in a school - the good news is that this hardware is in the process of being replaced. Hopefully the current focus on school security will mean increased attention to life safety as well.
Have you seen lever handles purposely mounted in the vertical position? If you are an AHJ, do you have concerns about this application? Is the hardware violating a code or standard when mounted this way? WWYD?
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)?
What is happening in this Fixed-it Friday photo from Debbie White of Allegion? It's a restroom door in a gas station. I'll wait while you think about it.
In recent years, many states have issued guidance on classroom locking procedures. Most of these guidelines follow the adopted building codes, fire codes, and accessibility standards, some do not. Check out the State of Alabama's directive in today's post.
A retired AHJ sent today's Wordless Wednesday photos of a secondary means of egress in a small hamburger restaurant. Technically, the second exit may not be required, but if the door is provided for egress purposes, it must be code-compliant.
On September 29th (1 PM Eastern), I will be presenting a virtual lunch and learn for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), and it is open to anyone who would like to attend. There's more info in today's post!
Lee Frazier of Allegion sent me this Fixed-it Friday photo, which once again illustrates the age-old problem of security vs. convenience. This door serves as a secondary entrance for a school building, and the latch was taped by summer camp staff.
It's my favorite time of the year - back to school! It's hard to believe that I have a college senior, and a high school junior and senior! But the learning doesn't end with graduation...we have plenty of continuing education available this month.
The fact that this stairwell fire door is now cracked in half helps to explain why drilling wire raceways in existing doors is typically treated as a field modification that must be approved in advance by the listing lab. I'm Wordless!
The code requirements related to doors serving roofs have long been a source of confusion, but changes made in the last few editions of the model codes have helped to clarify the intent. Today's post answers a few of the most frequently asked questions about roof doors.
My next Decoded column addresses important code clarifications related to electrified hardware used in access control systems. I hope this article will help with more consistent interpretations of the requirements.
I saw these beautiful doors and glazed walls in the Mexico City airport last week. While they are gorgeous, this application requires careful attention to the hardware - especially the pivots used to hang the doors. What would you recommend?
I have added a new link to the Codes page on iDigHardware, where you can find information about code adoption as well as links for free access to some of the codes and standards that we refer to regularly. Thanks to John Woestman of BHMA for the tip on FEMA's BCAT!
Remember last month when I mentioned that I might question the condition of a restaurant's kitchen based on their doors and hardware? Well, the same goes for hotels, and these Wordless Wednesday photos of my hotel's fire doors from last week's trip are a compelling example.
Back in 2016 (where does the time go??), I answered a Quick Question: Does every component of a fire door assembly have to be listed/labeled? Today's post includes some updated information found in the enhanced content for NFPA 80.
Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time in airports, and I saw several family restroom applications "in the wild," including a restroom door with an automatic operator and an electrified locking system for privacy. Check it out!
Kristi Dietz of LaForce sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, taken in a convenience store. When asked to look at this door due to water intrusion, a LaForce employee mentioned the code issues and was told that the door had not been cited for any egress violations.
Specifiers are involved during the construction process—not throughout the life of the building, but there are many ways the choices made during the specification process can affect the durability and function of fire door assemblies for years to come.
