Decoded: Accessibility Standards – Keys and Credentials
How do the accessibility standards affect the use of keys and electronic credentials? Find out in this month's Decoded column for Door Security + Safety Magazine.
2
07, 2024
1
07, 2024
Life Safety Digest: Health Care Corridor Doors and Smoke Barrier Doors – What’s the difference?
Check out my article in the Summer issue of Life Safety Digest, which answers the common questions about corridor doors and smoke barrier doors in health care facilities.
28
06, 2024
FF: Las Puertas Pintadas
I recently walked by some of my favorite doors in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, just as they were getting a new coat of paint. I'm sharing these doors in today's Fixed-it Friday post.
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06, 2024
Allowing Barricade Devices by Law
Urgent: A set of bills that will allow temporary door locking devices is successfully moving through the Massachusetts Legislature. How will this law affect life safety and accessibility?
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06, 2024
WW: Unstaffed Facilities
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos show the main entrance of a gym that is open 24 hours/day, where there is no staff present. The question is...how do members exit after their workout?
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06, 2024
Do assisted living units need fire protection?
A code change proposal has been submitted that would remove the self-closing/automatic-closing requirement for assisted living unit entry fire doors. I OBJECT! How about you?
24
06, 2024
Wide doors and panics don’t mix.
In Mark Kuhn's next post, he writes about a problem many hardware specifiers have faced...a conflict between door width and the code requirements for panic hardware.
21
06, 2024
FF: Un-Dogging for Lockdown
A while back, I taught a class at a large university and was fortunate to have access to their fantastic training room. As with other doors on campus, they had a lockdown strategy.
20
06, 2024
Indicators – When, where, and why?
In his latest post, Mark Kuhn explores lock status indicators...where are they required by code, and when are they just a good idea? Where do YOU specify or supply indicators?
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06, 2024
WW: Custom Window WOW!
I saw a video of some amazing hollow metal work posted on social media, and I was Wordless! I asked Brian Lavallee of Doors by LAVA if I could share it here, and he said yes!
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06, 2024
Decoded: Vision Lights and Viewers
I am working on a new series of Decoded posts, which will be compiled into a reference library addressing each of the code requirements related to door openings. What do you think?
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06, 2024
Podcast: The Changing Face of School Security 13
In the next episode of Paul Timm's podcast - The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with ME! - Lori Greene, Manager - Codes & Resources at Allegion.
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06, 2024
FF: Mag Holders
Erich Russ of Jeske Hardware sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos and I'll admit, at first I thought this was just another pair of fire doors with kick-down stops. But take a closer look...
13
06, 2024
Decoded: Door and Gate Closing Speed
I am working on a new series of Decoded posts, which will be compiled into a reference library addressing each of the code requirements related to door openings. What do you think?
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06, 2024
WW: Education and Awareness
Today I am Wordless in a positive way, about this photo that was sent to me by John Lozano of Allegion. It was taken in a high school. What do you think?
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06, 2024
If it were easy, they’d call it EASYware!
The funny thing about writing a hardware specification is - EVERYONE has their own way of specifying hardware for a door opening. The even crazier thing is - most of those ways are CORRECT!
10
06, 2024
AMA on Fire-Rated Glazing
One of my colleagues, Dave Vermeulen of TGP, recently did an AMA for Construction Specifier about fire-rated glazing. You can watch the recording in today's post!
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06, 2024
FF: There were signs.
It's hard to believe, but my third (and final) child is graduating from high school today - WOOHOO! I'll be playing hookey to enjoy the festivities, but first, here's today's Fixed-it Friday post.
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06, 2024
PSA: Accessibility Terminology
Not much to see here, right? What caught my eye was the signage on the bottom of the glazing, directing people to the "handicapped accessible entrance" around the corner.
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06, 2024
WW: Alien Attack
One of the things I absolutely love the most about iDigHardware is that it keeps me connected to people from throughout my career - I've been at this a long time!
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06, 2024
Retail Access and Egress Control
Today's post from Mark Kuhn addresses an interesting application that I hadn't thought about before - a combination of electrified hardware and a key-operated lock on the same door.
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06, 2024
WWYD? Glazing Films
I'd like to compile some information on glazing films that can be used on glass in doors and sidelights, including fire door assemblies. I'm hoping that some of you have insight to share.
31
05, 2024
FF: Parallel Arm Shoes
I received today's Fixed-it Friday photo from Eyal Bedrik and Danny Estryk of Entry Systems Ltd., and I'm a bit Wordless. Have you seen any creative fixes lately?
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05, 2024
Will Generative AI make us obsolete?
Imagine how great it would be if you could ask a computer a code question, and feel confident about the answer!! I would actually welcome that technology if it was accurate!
29
05, 2024
WW: Hitch Lock
Brian Messina of Kamco Supply sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, and he had to educate me on what I was looking at. #WORDLESS
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05, 2024
Decoded: Elevator Lobby Exit Access Doors
Calling all architects! I am looking for a partial plan similar to the image in this post to use with a print article about a change to the I-Codes addressing elevator lobby security. Can you help?
24
05, 2024
FF: It’s the little things…
There's (almost) nothing I love more than casually checking out fire door assemblies with someone from a fire test lab, and I recently had a chance to do just that! :D
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05, 2024
QQ: Panic Hardware Dogging
An architect recently asked me today's Quick Question...How do the various dogging options for panic hardware operate? What are the pros and cons of the different types?
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05, 2024
WW: Open Holes in Fire Doors
I saw the door in today's Wordless Wednesday photos during a recent hotel stay, and yes, it's definitely a fire door assembly, in an elevator lobby.
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05, 2024
What is BHMA and why is it important?
Last week, I published a couple of posts while attending the BHMA meetings in Nashville. An iDigHardware reader asked me what the organization was all about and why I was part of it.
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05, 2024
FF: Do Not Disturb – Reinvented
Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I don't think I've ever seen this system on one of my hotel room doors. How about you? Is this a new trend in hospitality?
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05, 2024
Fire Door Label Location
I've noticed a few interesting door openings around the hotel where this week's BHMA meetings are being held, and these doors in particular illustrated something I hadn't really thought about before.
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05, 2024
WW: “E” for Effort?
Brad Anderson of Allegion sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photos, taken in a hotel. Someone made a good effort but I see a few problems. What do you think?
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05, 2024
Von Duprin Resources
Yesterday an integrator contacted me with questions about the Von Duprin Chexit, delayed egress panic hardware. Luckily I could point him to all of the resources he needed in one location.
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05, 2024
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?
10
05, 2024
FF: I’m Wordless
I saw today's classic Fixed-it Friday photo on the Locksmith Nation Facebook page, and I asked Allen Medvin for permission to post it here. Allen is not responsible for this fix!
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05, 2024
Webinar: Ensuring Safer Schools for Students of All Abilities
Don't miss the upcoming webinar presented by two of my favorite school security and safety professionals: Michele Gay of Safe and Sound Schools, and Paul Timm of Allegion.
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05, 2024
WW: Classroom Exit
Joe Hendry of Navigate360 sent me today's WW photo, taken in a school classroom. Clearly, it is a marked exit that is blocked, but is this exit required? Tell me what you think.
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05, 2024
ADA Webinar: Doors and Gates
Last week, the U.S. Access Board conducted a webinar on the accessibility requirements related to doors and gates, and the recording is now available. The link is in today's post.
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05, 2024
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?
3
05, 2024
FF: Fire Door Alteration
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo of a field alteration made to a fire door assembly left me Wordless. Thank you to Blaine Youngquist of The Cook and Boardman Group for the photo.
2
05, 2024
Door and Hardware Institute “School Safety” on Daytime
DHI was recently featured in an interview on DayTime addressing school security and highlighting the guidelines available from the Door Security & Safety Foundation. Check out the video in today's post.
1
05, 2024
WW: WWYD?
Although at first glance I was Wordless, I'm wondering...what would you do? On the other side of this door is an unoccupied roof, four feet down from the occupied space.
30
04, 2024
American School & University: Secure and Accessible
Tysen Gannon and Devin Bowman, of AD Systems and TGP, teamed up to address how multiple layers of security in a school create safer learning spaces for students and staff.
29
04, 2024
WW Follow Up
Last week I posted some WW photos of a propped open fire door, and one of my coworkers asked: What steps would need to be taken to solve the problem? This is a great question!
26
04, 2024
FF: Touchpad Koozies
I saw something similar to today's photos (although less elegant) at the Hoover Dam years ago, but being from New England I didn't know what problem the "fix" was addressing.
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04, 2024
Podcast: The Changing Face of School Security 12
In the next episode of Paul Timm's podcast, he talks with Antoinette King of Regional Sales East, author of the Digital Citizens Guide to Cybersecurity and founder of Credo Cyber Consulting.
24
04, 2024
WW: Back-2-Basics
Sometimes it's important to go back to the basics, because there are always new people finding iDigHardware for the first time. And clearly, not everyone has gotten the message.
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04, 2024
TGP: School Solutions Hub
I'm sharing a new resource in today's post - TGP's School Solutions Hub. Check it out for answers to your questions about creating safe learning environments in educational facilities.
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04, 2024
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?