Sometimes it's hard to believe that this continues to happen, but I love to hear about people pushing for code-compliance and protection of building occupants. Sadly, I'm sure the locks were present for a long time before someone noticed or said something, but the good news is that they were removed before tragedy struck.
It's hard to believe, but this week was my 19th anniversary with Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. I started out with the independent manufacturers' rep, MPS Sales, representing several of the IR product lines, and in 2001 we all joined the company as direct employees.
Here's a tough one...
In a brand-spanking-new huge and beautiful convention center, these attracted a lot of attention and MANY people mentioned them to me last week. The panics have hex-key dogging, so I have no idea why they've resorted to wide-scale use of velcro. Speaking of dogging...last night I went to an evening meeting at a school, and the teacher used her key to let us in the main exterior door. Once inside, she turned to face the door opening and said, "Ok - there's a trick...where is it?" Then she spied the small end of an allen wrench sticking out of a hole in the frame about 6 feet up, pulled it out, dogged the panic, and stuck the wrench back in the hole. Very high-tech. The funny thing is...the other leaf of the pair has an electric latch retraction device; all they need is a switch at the door to dog it.
A hodge-podge of the doors I saw while I was in Nashville for CONSTRUCT last week...
A few years ago I posted some reader photos and information about the replica of the Parthenon, in Nashville. Since I'm here this week for CONSTRUCT, I went over early this morning to see it for myself. I have one more day at CONSTRUCT, starting with the Bloggers' Panel in room 205C of the Music City Center. Come on over if you have any questions for the panel of bloggers - Dave Stutzman (SpecWords), Elizabeth O'Sullivan (Comments from a Specwriter), Charles Hendricks (Design Matters), Eric Lussier (Eric D. Lussier), and me!
I'm in Nashville this week for the CONSTRUCT show, and I've been scoping out some of the beautiful doors in town. My 1 vs. 100 Fire/Life-Safety class went well today...nobody fell asleep or faked an injury so they could leave early. Tomorrow I have 1 vs. 100 Electrified Hardware at 2:45, so if you're here at CONSTRUCT, head over to the Learning Pavilion. I decided today that the only thing worse than speaking to a large crowd is speaking to nobody, but luckily I had a pretty full class. Tomorrow will be the same "game show" format but with a different topic, so come back if you attended today! On Friday morning at 9:30 (room 205C), I'm participating in the CONSTRUCT Bloggers Panel, so if you've ever thought about starting a blog, have any questions about blogging, or just want to meet some bloggers, come on down!
Although this isn't a code violation since the doors are not fire rated, I firmly believe that failing to limit the ability to lock / unlock doors can severely impact security and the safety of building occupants. What say you?
When a hardware consultant writes a specification, it’s common practice to sit down and discuss the project with the architect, at least for the more complicated jobs. The topic of lock functions seems to arise at almost all of those meetings – usually someone in the room needs a refresher on how the basic functions work. In fact, when I was teaching our specwriter apprentices a few weeks ago I said, “Don’t ask the architect if he or she wants a storeroom function lock, ask if the door should always require a key to enter.” A manufacturer’s catalog may show 50 different lock functions (or more!) and it’s difficult or impossible to remember how each function works.
This post was printed in the November 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
Cory Yamaguchi of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this photo of an egress door he saw on an outing to the local dairy farm with his family. I'm picturing a farm that hosts lots of visitors, not the type where the cow:human ratio is 100:1. In addition to the creative application of pull handles, there are loops up at the top (one looks like it's missing) if they need a little extra security. If you're just tuning in, this is not code-compliant.
BM TRADA will be streaming a live fire door test over the internet on 17 September, offering viewers an opportunity to see for themselves the crucial role played by fire doors in saving lives and property.
When we apply the building codes and accessibility standards, it's important to remember that codes establish the minimum acceptable level of safety / accessibility. The video below is a candid illustration of a door that is code-compliant, but still doesn't provide access for all (if you have trouble with the embedded video, click here to go to the article and video on KOIN.com).
On September 24th I'll be heading down to Nashville for the CONSTRUCT show, and I need some help with a decision! We had planned to offer 2 different classes Wednesday and Thursday of that week, but the schedule was printed with the same topic (codes!) for both sessions. So help me decide...would you prefer 2 code classes as the schedule shows, or should we stick with 1 on codes, 1 on access control and advertise the schedule change on-site?
I'm sorry it's been a quiet week on iDigHardware so far, but I'm teaching a class for our amazing specwriter apprentices! We're working on electrified hardware this week, and I'm so impressed with what they've learned so far. I will need your help with something tomorrow, so please check back and cast your vote.
Thank you to everyone who has sent me photos of doors they've seen in their travels (or while laying on the couch). Kelly Chimilar from Allmar Inc. noticed these doors with an obvious egress problem while watching Thursday Night Football. If you don't know what the problem is, I will hold a special online study session for you after work tonight. ;)
Assuming this is the back door of a restaurant, what's wrong with these pictures sent in by Eric Miles of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies (other than the fact that the door is filthy!)?
A couple of months ago I wrote an article for Doors & Hardware, which appears in the September issue. As always, I triple-checked my sources, and confirmed that 2007 was the most current edition of A156.19 - American National Standard For Power Assist and Low Energy Power Operated Doors. Well, today a notification regarding the brand new 2013 edition showed up in my inbox! Luckily, there are not a lot of changes that would impact the article.
Twelve years ago I was new to the town where I currently live, and I knew almost nobody. It was hard to meet people back then - I had no kids and my husband and I both worked in other towns. My family and a bunch of my friends were still back in Vermont, where I started my career with a door and hardware distributor. My coworkers at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies (yes, I have worked at IR for almost 19 years!!) were wonderful, but they were busy with their families (I used to babysit their kids and take care of their pets). I remember signing up for classes just to try to find some friends - cooking, roller blading, line dancing...you name it. Are you getting the picture? I was desperate to connect with someone I had something in common with.
When I'm teaching about the code-compliant ways to hold open a fire door, I always say that my preference is to use a wall-mounted magnetic holder because there are no moving parts, and not much can go wrong if it's installed correctly. But if there's no power to the magnetic holder, it won't hold the door open. And if the door won't stay open, someone will always come along with a creative solution.
It's one of my favorite times of the year..."Back to School!", and school security is all over the news. How do we keep our kids safe at school?
The most ornate pair of doors that I saw in San Miguel was the entrance to la Casa del Mayorazgo de Canal. The historic home was once owned by the de la Canal family, one of the richest families in New Spain. This building is now occupied by a bank, as well as la Casa de Cultura de Banamex (Banamex Cultural Center) which houses a collection of historic paintings and hosts special art exhibitions.
Georgia school shooting: A hero emerges - Christian Science Monitor
I received today's photo from Brenda Dove of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. I wonder if that glass is impact-resistant...
Do you know who Carl Prinzler was? Does the name ring a bell? Carl worked in the door hardware industry back in the early 20th century, and was instrumental in developing the first exit device along with his employer, Vonnegut Hardware Company and his neighbor, Henry DuPont. Recently Peter Wilson of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies came across a poem by Misha Burnett called The Ballad of Carl Prinzler, and sent me the link. I couldn't imagine who (besides me) would write a poem about Carl Prinzler, so I emailed Misha. He is a university locksmith and while taking a poetry class he also attended a Von Duprin training class and learned about the invention of the first panic hardware after the tragic fire at the Iroquois Theater, which inspired him to write the Ballad of Carl Prinzler.
For some of you, this story will confirm my nerdiness. I'm ok with that. My trip to San Miguel de Allende is almost over - we're flying home on Saturday. I have hundreds of door photos to sort through, and I will post some in the coming weeks. But there was one pair of doors that I had not been able to photograph properly - the doors of La Parroquia, the beautiful church on the south side of el Jardin, which is the garden at the heart of San Miguel. I have visited the church MANY times during my stay, at all times of the day and night, hoping to find the doors closed. I've asked several people what time the doors open in the morning, but so far, no luck. I couldn't go home without photographing the doors of the unofficial symbol of SMA, right?
As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm in Mexico taking in all of the lovely doors of San Miguel de Allende. I haven't seen much evidence of building / life safety codes, but we did go to a popular museum in Guanajuato and I saw this exit stair...I guess you could call it a form of delayed egress.
This post was printed in the October 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
This post was printed in the September 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
This post was printed in the August 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
When I began planning a trip to San Miguel de Allende, I had no idea that the city was known for its beautiful doors...there's even a book about them! I have a lot more door photos to post (and even an egress problem!), but for now, here's a sneak peek...
From Vince Black of Black Hawk Doors, a restaurant owner's solution to a closer arm stripped off the shaft, with the arm screw broken off in the closer body:
This article was printed in the July 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware
I love it when people take action to rectify a code issue - especially when it's a door problem. Two articles landed on my desk in the last few days about just that - citizens who saw a deficiency and didn't let it drop until it got some attention. Both stories are from the UK and both involve high-rise apartment buildings - maybe Theodore Firedoor is helping to educate people about code-compliant fire doors.
Tim Kaye of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this photo of a required egress door in a school, which truly left me wordless. :(
I've received lots of photos lately that illustrated problems with how products were specified, supplied, or installed. So let's play...what's wrong with this picture???
At the risk of sounding like a hardware nerd, I'll admit that I think door closers are really cool. Most of the people walking around in the world don't give them a second thought. But on Monday, July 29th, between 9:35 and 9:45 pm EDT, LCN Closers will be profiled on The Fox Business Network in the "Manufacturing Marvels" series. The two-minute profile will spotlight the LCN brand, its products and its commitment to quality, and hopefully make more people aware of what an important purpose door closers serve.
Andy Lindenberg of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me this one. I'm a little confused. Should I use this door in an emergency, or not?
Time to clean out the inbox! Here's the first batch:
This photo was sent to me by Jeff Tock of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, who reported that there were numerous fire doors like this in the same hotel. Personally, if I did something and saw VOID, I would probably stop and consider what was causing that to happen.
Here are a few articles that have crossed my desk recently (and some not-so-recently but I'm cleaning house). If you find an article that you'd like to share, send it along!
I have specified hardware for this application several times in the past, but when it came up again today I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some feedback from all of you and come up with the best way to handle this type of opening. It's a storage closet for a large folding partition to divide a room. When the folding partition is stored in the closet, both leaves of the door are in the same plane to fill the opening. When the folding partition is out of storage and dividing the room, it still extends into the closet so the small leaf of the pair folds back against the larger leaf, to leave space for the folding partition.
It's Wednesday, and you know what that means! Another application that leaves me wordless! Jeff Tock of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sent me these photos of the integral stop on a door closer being used to hold the fire door open. Y'all know that's not ok - right?
Several questions have come up lately regarding the door and hardware requirements for science labs in schools. When a short article about a chemical fire in a lab storage cabinet came across my desk, I decided to do a little digging. I found that fires in school science labs are not uncommon, in fact, the number of injuries to students has grown - in part because of changing educational requirements which advocate more hands-on science instruction. In the event of a lab fire, building code requirements can help to limit the damage to the lab and prevent the fire and smoke from spreading.
I was just looking for a particular discussion on the Building Code Forum, and I ran across this photo which I forgot to post. I was probably saving it for the WW before Thanksgiving. :) The fire inspector had been called back to reinspect this exit, which was missing the panic hardware.
I answer A LOT of questions every day, and I love doing it. I'm so glad to be able to provide this resource for our staff and customers, and anyone else who comes across my site. But sometimes I get questions that I don't have a good answer for, and that's where you come in. Please leave a comment if you have any insight on ANY of these questions...
A few months ago I got the bittersweet news that one of my favorite people in our industry, Bob Harder, was retiring. I'm not afraid to say...I got a little misty.
I've had dozens of architects ask me to specify hardware for doors with something "unusual" applied to them...sheetrock, wood, stone...one of our hardware consultants even had an architect propose full-sized brick covering the entire face of the door. I always try to talk them out of it, but I have to admit it's pretty cool when I see doors where the architect didn't take "no" for an answer.
