This Decoded article on clear opening requirements was first published almost 10 years ago, and remains a frequently visited post on iDigHardware. It has now been updated with current code references.
Qasim Mousa from Allegion's office in Saudi Arabia, sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, taken at a new school. This is a great example of how so-called "value engineering" can negatively impact a project.
Automatic sliding doors have become very common in health care facilities and other types of buildings. In this post, I have answered some of the frequently asked code questions about these doors, with links to additional resources.
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photo from Jake O'Keefe of Allegion, who was helping the locksmith for a large hospital with a problem at one of their exterior doors. The door was "stuck", but on the bright side, the problem was pretty easy to diagnose.
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?
Because of some changes made in the 2024 editions of the I-Codes, I have updated this Decoded article addressing when to use fail secure vs. fail safe electrified hardware.
Shannon Tracey of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo from a project where she wrote the hardware specification. I can't even imagine how this happened or why someone thought it was a good idea. The good news is, it has since been fixed.
Although there is a section in the I-Codes dedicated to automatic doors, this section does not address the hardware used for security and egress. Locks for automatic sliding doors are covered in other sections of the model codes.
Allegion's Inside Sales Team received these photos and the authorization to share them. This Schlage BE Series deadbolt was installed on a home that was destroyed by a wildfire in San Antonio, Texas. The lock survived. #wordless!
Join us on October 4th for an AIA-approved webinar on sliding doors, presented by Tysen Gannon, West Region Business Development Manager, Allegion.
We're currently searching for the next cohort for our Sales Development and Specification Writer Apprentice Programs. Do you know someone who is graduating from college in May of 2024? Check out today's post for more information.
Lee Frazier of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos of doors found in a school. Luckily, this is not a fire door assembly. Maybe my retirement gig will be in door forensics...I have so many questions. :D
I will be teaching two classes during the DHI conNextions conference next month in Boston, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces there! The classes are both code updates, but the focus is slightly different. Which one will you register for?
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photos from a retired AHJ - this is a 22,000 square foot sports facility used for batting practice and baseball training. What do you think of the "emergency exits"?
Last week I started a series of posts looking at the code requirements related to automatic sliding doors, and while I was reading up on the topic, I noticed something interesting in both the I-Codes and the NFPA codes.
In my current column in USGlass Magazine, I addressed the topic of security vestibules in schools. Consider this question: What should be avoided when designing, specifying hardware or updating features in secured entry vestibules?
I'm wondering why these doors swing toward the soccer field, but it's hard to know the egress route without a floor plan. Regardless, someone has solved the problem of unauthorized access to the stands with today's non-code-compliant Fixed-it Friday modification.
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?
Given the situations I see while traveling internationally, I could probably create Wordless Wednesday posts until the end of time. The important thing to note is how fortunate we are to have strong codes and good enforcement in the U.S.
One of the security challenges that schools are currently facing involves false reports made to emergency services. In the fourth episode of Paul Timm's podcast - The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with Jin Kim about this topic.
My next Decoded article looks at some of the exceptions where doors serving assembly spaces are NOT required to have panic hardware. Did I miss any? Leave a comment and let me know!
Krystina Regan of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos, taken at the local nail salon. Although I do have an appreciation for clear instructional signage, the hex wrench replacement for the thumbturn and the added surface bolt are a no for me.
If you are responsible for inspecting fire door assemblies or keeping them code-compliant, you already know that one of the most common challenges is related to perimeter clearance. Do you have a few minutes to share your insight?
My kids all participated in drama club at school and I was a behind-the-scenes helper, so I have witnessed firsthand the creativity of that crowd. What do you think of this exit, which serves the backstage area in a high school theater? OK, or NO WAY?
I'm continuing to revise my Decoded articles to maintain them as an up-to-date resource for the industry...familiarity with use groups and occupancy classifications is crucial to understanding and applying the codes.
As many of you know, my oldest daughter recently graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. When I attended one of her graduation events, I noticed an interesting application that I'm sharing in today's Fixed-it Friday post.
My current monthly column in USGlass Magazine answers this question: On pairs of doors, are inactive leaves that are not required for egress allowed to have manual flush bolts? Do you know the answer?
Once a door and hardware professional starts looking at the hardware as they pass through a door opening, that habit is difficult (or impossible?) to break. I received today's Wordless Wednesday from my retired Allegion coworker, Chris Clark.
A few weeks ago I shared a handy tool from TGP - the online product SpeciFIRE. Today I'm posting another resource on glazing, which addresses the labels that are required for glass in fire door and fire window assemblies.
In my quest to ensure that my library of Decoded articles continues to be valuable as current reference information, I have updated this article on an important requirement of the I-Codes. Have you heard of the Duck Test?
For my Fixed-it Friday posts, I typically share photos of creative modifications - often applications that are not code-compliant. But I also like to share product changes that solve a problem. In today's post, a retrofit kit for the Schlage AD993.
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?
Last week I posted a Fixed-it Friday photo of a 50/50 split opening that I saw in Valle de Bravo, and in response, Leo Lebovits of M&D Door & Hardware sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo. I can see the resemblance!
Yesterday I received phone calls, emails, post comments, and texts about an error message that some of you were receiving when trying to access iDigHardware. Everything seems to be fine now, but if you experience any issues, let me know!
Electrified hardware causes a lot of confusion regarding the applicable code requirements, but understanding one concept would help to clear up many of the misinterpretations: Is every opening with electrified hardware considered a "special locking arrangement"?
I don't know for sure what happened in these Fixed-it Friday photos, but my guess is that this property was split due to an unresolved inheritance, and the doors were part of the fix. What do you think? Do you have another theory?
The accessibility requirements related to doors and hardware are too complex to address in one post, but here are a few of the most frequently asked questions, with links to additional information.
A few years ago I decided to learn how to dance - salsa, cumbia, and other Latin dances - not the easiest undertaking, but very rewarding. My new obsession has taken me to several sources of Wordless Wednesday photos, including a restaurant that I went to last night.
Over the last 10+ years, I have met many people who are committed to the safety and security of schools, and I just realized that two of my favorite school safety advocates are presenting a webinar this week! Read more in today's post.
Most of the codes and standards are updated every 3-5 years, but there may be a period of time when a new product is available that is not specifically addressed until the next edition is published. How is this handled by the AHJ?
RB Sontag of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos, and I'm wordless! In all of my years in the industry, I don't recall ever seeing electromagnetic holders installed this way. How about you?
Although more than 7 years have passed since the tragic shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, questions remain about the “design, unpermitted renovations, and code enforcement” there.
A couple of weeks ago I shared a photo of a blocked retail exit, and Lee Frazier sent me today's photo from another large retail store. During the pandemic, many stores changed their ingress and egress routes, and the after-effects are lingering on.
TGP has released a new and improved online version of the product SpeciFIRE, where you can make a series of choices and find the TGP glazing options that will meet the needs of the project. Check it out!
My current monthly column in USGlass Magazine answers this question: Are deadbolts compliant with the code requirements for egress, fire protection and accessibility? Do you know the answer?
It can be very challenging to keep gates secure and to protect the hardware from the weather. I saw today's Fixed-it Friday photos posted by Dani Livshin on the Locksmith National Facebook page, and I'm sharing them with Dani's permission.
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?
Tim Weller of Allegion sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo...retail space is definitely at a premium these days. If you think the exit is blocked now, just wait until the balloon lady arrives for her shift!
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?
As the use of technology in schools grows, there are both positive and negative implications to be considered. In the third episode of Paul Timm's podcast - The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with Jeff Bean about this topic.
