You may have already noticed that I added a new tab at the top of the page that says "FDAI." On this page I've collected some resources on Fire Door Assembly Inspection (FDAI). If you have comments about any of the documents or links there, or if you have ideas for other resources that should be included, let me know!
First the good news. When the annual DHI conference was held in Boston, I conducted a 3-hour code class for architects (I later conducted the class for our DHI chapter.). Public speaking isn't my favorite thing to do, so when one of the attendees approached me before class started and said, "You're not REALLY going to talk for 3 HOURS about CODES, are you?", I got a little nervous. When we conduct presentations for architects, they're typically lunch-n-learns - 1 hour max, with lunch (and cookies!) as an incentive to attend. We get great feedback on our lunch presentations, but asking architects to sit through 3 hours of discussion on hardware and codes was a different story. To my surprise, about 100 architects registered to attend, they actually showed up, and they stayed until the end. I didn't lose my train of thought, pass out, have an "accident", or lose my voice, so I considered the class a success.
A couple of weeks ago, someone called to ask me where in the codes it states that 12 coat hooks can not be mounted on a 90-minute rated wood door. I have to admit, that was a new one.
I received these photos last week and I didn't have much advice...maybe someone else does. These are classroom doors in a school for autistic children, and the extra locksets are due to the special needs of the students. The students are unable to retract both latches at the same time (if they can even reach the upper lockset). While this keeps the children in the classroom (a good thing), it also prevents egress (a bad thing).
You wouldn't think that a fair would be a great place for door-hunting, but I saw the doors below at The Big E last weekend. There's a lot going on here - sliding, folding, and swinging doors serving a giant assembly occupancy. This reminds of many scenarios dreamed up by architects that I've advised strongly against. No offense to all of the architects out there, but I'll bet the facility hates these doors.
I received the comment below on my post about the childrens' museum doors with applied panels painted to look like stone. It's a good question, so I'm turning it into a post of its own.
To finish up my spontaneous series on the children's museum, here are a few of the faux-painted doors we saw there. I think these are even harder to distinguish as doors (when they're closed) than the planetarium exit.
These doors are from the same children's museum as the planetarium exit doors in the previous post. I first noticed the "mouse hole" at the bottom of one pair, and wondered why it was there, until I saw multiple other holes with wires running through.
When I need inspiration for what to write about and nobody has sent me a good code question that day, all I have to do is look back at my photos from family outings. That's sad, I know. :-)
If you haven't been to Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, you're missing out on some great old hardware applications. They recently had an exhibit of antique door pulls, and as soon as my first-grader saw it he said, "Mom! I think you're going to want to get out your camera!" :-)
My site has been moved to a new server so hopefully all of the technical difficulties are behind us and I can get on with the important stuff - DOORS! :-)
Maybe I should have a new series called "Jeff Tock's Photos." :-) Jeff is one of the Ingersoll Rand trainers who travels the world teaching people about hardware, and he sees a lot of "special applications." Jeff sent me this group of photos recently (thanks Jeff!):
Someone sent me this photo of the custom door pulls made by Tice Industries for the Danner Shoe Manufacturing Company, and I thought they were so cool that I asked Scott Tice to send me more photos of their custom door pulls. They have other custom capabilities as well, so check them out!
By now I'm sure some of you are wondering if I'm lying in a ditch somewhere, but I'm not! Our website host has had some problems on the server side which left me unable to log in since last Thursday. :-(
The good news is that these doors are being replaced, presumably with doors that will provide security without jeopardizing life safety. The bad news is that this is a popular restaurant and their main entrance doesn't come close to meeting the requirements for egress.
A while back, I posted some recommended specification language regarding the annual inspection of fire and egress door assemblies, and I have since revised it based on everyone's comments. The original language and comments are still here, and the updated language is below. This should be inserted into the hardware specification for projects designed to comply with the 2009 edition of the IBC, or in jurisdictions which require compliance with NFPA 80-2007 or 2010. Feel free to comment if you have suggestions for improvements.
I visited a jobsite today and saw some QEL devices in action. If you're not familiar with the QEL device, it is a *quiet* version of the electric latch retraction exit device. When the access control system (card reader, key fob, etc.) signals the door to unlock, the latch(es) retract to allow someone to pull the door open. You can always exit by pushing the touchpad. I have used the QEL device on several high-profile spaces where noise is an issue. I recently specified them for auditoriums at the United States Institute of Peace and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where the latches are held retracted while the auditorium is unlocked. As you can see in the video below, the touchpads are also held in while the latches are retracted so there will be no sound associated with exiting while the doors are unlocked.
A couple of weeks ago I got a notification that someone wanted to connect with me on LinkedIn, and it turned out to be an architect that I worked with on several projects many moons ago, Reese Schroeder. When I checked out his profile I found that he is the co-founder and Director of Product Development for RM Global. The company creates and manufactures absolutely gorgeous art glass, including glass doors. Their secret process results in a resolution of 4,000 dpi at 36 billion color potential - far exceeding the range of the human eye.
AccessibilityOnline is conducting monthly webinars on accessibility as a collaborative training program between the ADA National Network and the US Access Board. The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design were recently approved, and the revised standards will be the topic of the next webinar. The webinar is scheduled for September 2nd, 2010, from 1:30-4:00 ET. Here's a description of the presentation from their website:
Some creative and unusual hardware applications sent in by blog readers:
At least once a month someone asks me whether it's ok to use a deadbolt with a thumbturn on a door that is required to be accessible. It took some digging to get a definitive answer, because the accessibility standards don't specify a certain dimension that would be acceptable for the thumbturn. The ADA guidelines and ICC A117.1 both state that hardware has to be operable without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, but that still leaves a lot up to interpretation.
Some of the more attentive ihatehardware readers may have noticed a few little changes with the site lately. For a long time I've been thinking about adding another domain name for my blog, indicating my true feelings about doors and hardware. The original domain name, www.iHATEhardware.com, was chosen because almost all of the architects I work with hate or at least have an extreme dislike for hardware, so that URL is easy for them to remember.
It's hard to believe that last week was the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. I clearly remember being sent to a seminar at the Ramada Inn in the early 90's to hear all about how this *new* law would affect architecture and construction. Of course, not much of the presentation was spent discussing the hardware requirements, so our industry was left to figure it out over the years.
When it's aJAR, of course!
I spend a lot of time with architects, and sometimes I'm put in the awkward position of having to talk them out of trying to do something with doors that hasn't been successfully done before. Many times this involves glass doors, which are becoming more common, yet still have very few options for hardware. It's tough to make a glass door do anything innovative, when all of the locking hardware is paired with a fixed pull handle.
The 8th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code 780 CMR becomes effective on August 6, 2010. From August 6th, 2010, to February 6th, 2011, there will be a concurrency period during which the 7th or 8th edition requirements can be followed, and after February 6th, 2011, the 8th edition must be used.
Since it's one hour until Friday and I've had a very long week trying to catch up from being on vacation, here's some door-humor (yes, really). It's an automatic door on the Columbia University Physics building. The auto operator was being replaced with an LCN Senior Swing, but the installers were struggling through the installation without a wiring diagram, which can be extremely tough if there's other hardware involved. I feel a site visit coming on.
It's not very often that I see a news report about egress doors that don't meet code requirements. Considering the prevalence of the problem, it's amazing to me that it doesn't get more publicity, but then again, I'm a little more focused on the problem than the average citizen.
This application came across my desk last week and for the life of me I couldn't think of where someone would use it. I don't remember ever being asked for a rim cylinder with a thumbturn, and people ask me for all kinds of random things.
Today's the last day of my vacation, and I'm headed to Woburn to get my computer fixed, and then leaving for the weekend armed with a set of plans for a project I'm revising. That doesn't sound very vacationish to me, but it goes with the territory.
As I've said before, it makes me really happy when people send me photos of door and hardware applications they've seen in the field. I'm REALLY happy today because my inbox is full!
Unfortunately, these door photos from Ireland are not mine, since I'm currently on a stay-cation in the 95-degree heat. I received them from Bob Caron of Kelley Brothers of New England, and they were taken by his niece, Emily Hogue, on a recent trip to Ireland. Thanks Emily!
As I said in my last post, I'm on vacation and I just spent a long weekend in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We're lucky to have friends who own a little piece of heaven and let us come to visit on occasion. I spent the weekend taking naps, watching the kids swim in the pond, and going on photo safaris in the woods, with no intentions of looking for doors or coming up with an interesting blog post.
I'm on vacation in Maine, and the doors are few and far between. Today we went to Fort Williams Park, which has some really interesting buildings including the ruins of the Goddard Mansion, and the Portland Headlight (described as the most photographed lighthouse in the world). Scattered around the park are various batteries and other buildings left over from the property's life as a military post.
We're on our annual summer road trip, although I didn't have the stamina to listen to the kids bicker all the way to Florida so it's a much shorter trip than last year. Before anyone asks, I don't have a single piece of hardware with me on this trip.
I'm really starting to think that between photos from readers and the way the internet connects me to the world, I could just stay in my house and still have plenty of doors to write about. I'm currently at our "camp" which depending on where you are in the country could be defined as a cottage, lake house, summer home, etc. I usually call it our shack in the woods, because it's tiny, it needs work, and it's in the woods. Anyway, you get the picture.
Last week I got a compliment about this site from a security consultant, and I asked him if there were any topics he'd like me to do a post about. He said that a post on electrified lever trim (E) vs. electric latch retraction (EL) would be helpful since he spends a lot of time explaining the difference to his clients. So Michael, this is for you, and everyone out there who has been wondering how to choose between the two.
I love to receive photos from people who read my blog, and a couple of weeks ago I hit the jackpot. Within 24 hours I received a bunch!
I'm sorry I've been incommunicado this week...sometimes life gets in the way of hardware. When I agreed to lend a hand to my sister-in-law during the birth of my niece, I had no idea it would take 4 days! The good news is that my niece has arrived, and I was able to spend 4 days wandering the hospital halls looking at the hardware.
I find this cool in a freaky sort of way.
After my request for readers to send me photos of hardware applications seen on their summer vacations, I received some photos of the entrance doors to the Notre Dame des Victoires Church in Quebec City, Canada. The church was erected in 1688, and is Quebec's oldest stone church.
Yesterday I spent a few hours auditing a class on the Schlage AD-Series Electronic Locks. If you haven't seen this lock yet, you should go to the website and take a look. The whole idea behind it is that it's adaptable. You can change the type of credential reader (keypad, mag-stripe, proximity/Smart Card/Multi-Tech reader) , the function (classroom/storeroom, office, apartment, privacy), or even the level of access control (offline, networked, wireless), and the changes can be made without taking the lock off the door. So you install a stand-alone keypad lock today...tomorrow you can change it to a networked wireless lock with a Smart Card reader, and only the credential reader and inside escutchen need to be replaced. The rest of the change is accomplished with free firmware.
Here's another door from the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts. It's actually a curved door from the existing building attached to a new door. Because of the thickness of the two doors, wide throw hinges were used. Wide throw hinges are typically used when more clearance is required behind the door when open 180 degrees, not to be confused with swing clear hinges, which move the door out of the opening when open to 90 degrees (see below for comparison).
Last night's CSI meeting was a tour of the recently-completed Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts. It was kind of a hike especially with the threat of traffic problems, but I thought I might be able to get some good door pictures.
I posted a while back about the proposed 8th edition of 780 CMR, the Massachusetts State Building Code. The link that I had provided to the proposed code stopped working, but the information is now available online, including a read-only link to the 2009 IBC, the proposed Massachusetts addendums, and the comments and proposals from the February public hearing.
I haven't thought much about these since I was in DHI school (a really long time ago), but today I saw two types of paumelle hinges along with some olive knuckle hinges in the same facility. Beautiful hinges, but a very tough door and frame prep.
I swear, this blog is not going to become a collection of photos that can be found elsewhere on the web, but since two people sent me this photo today and it's pretty horrible, I just have to post it. It's another one from thereIfixedit.com, which is a really funny collection of weird stuff that people do to try to fix things.
I'm off to Carmel this week so it's going to be a busy one. I don't know if I'll get to the next smoke door post but I'll post some more application photos to tide you over. Here's another gravity closer with a bonus padlock on a temperature rise egress door. And before someone comments that these don't need to be temp rise doors, this opening is in Israel so I'm not sure which code was in use when they were installed.
I think I'm onto something...asking everyone to send their vacation photos of oddball hardware applications has already netted me several, including this photo of a gravity closer from Quebec City. The cable goes from the face of the door, through the pulley that the brown outfit is hanging on, then through another pulley and attaches to a weight that the green outfit is hanging on. Complicated, but pretty inexpensive as long as you don't need door control. ;-)
Last week I said that as new countries came to visit this site, I'd post a door photo from that country. Sounds like fun, right? Well, it's not as easy as it looks from where you're sitting.
