WW: Entrata
I must have missed this amazing church entrance door when I was in Rome, but luckily a retired AHJ sent me some Wordless Wednesday photos. I guess I need to make a return trip!
10
04, 2024
9
04, 2024
BHMA: IBC Changes 2012 to 2024
A reader recently asked me where to find the BHMA comparison of the IBC requirements from 2012 to 2024. The document has been revised, and the new links are in today's post!
8
04, 2024
Creating Safer Spaces: A Deep Dive into Bullet-Resistant Glass
Do you have questions about bullet-resistant glass? A recent article by David Vermeulen, North America Sales Director, TGP addresses some of the considerations for these applications.
5
04, 2024
FF: Crossbar Cable
Marc Zolner of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, and he asked what the codes say about having one pair locked with a cable, with four other pairs available for egress.
4
04, 2024
Decoded: Automatic Operators in Mixed-Use Facilities
This month’s Decoded question is related to a clarification made in the 2024 IBC, which applies to the requirements for automatic operators on accessible public entrances.
3
04, 2024
WW: In case of fire…
Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd. sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, of a standpipe cabinet that will need to be accessed quickly during a fire ("Now where did I put those keys???").
2
04, 2024
Stage Door Follow-Up
Last week I asked for ideas about what could have been done differently with the hardware on a stage door. Today's post is a follow-up with the solution that I would specify.
1
04, 2024
QQ: Electrified Locks and Accessibility
An interesting Quick Question showed up last week: Do the accessibility standards mandate an extended amount of unlock time for electronic locks, to accommodate people with disabilities?
29
03, 2024
FF: Another Stage Door
Every time I go backstage in a school auditorium, I see issues with the egress doors. Any ideas about what could have been done differently with this door?
28
03, 2024
WWYD? Padded Gym Doors
I've seen this application hundreds of times, gymnasium fire doors with applied padding. But is applied padding allowed when the doors are fire rated? WWYD?
27
03, 2024
WW: Emergency Door
Hal Kelton of DOORDATA Solutions sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo of an "emergency door", and well... I'm wordless!
26
03, 2024
Podcast: The Changing Face of School Security 11
In the next episode of Paul Timm's podcast, he talks with Don Hough, Dept. Assoc. Director for the School Safety Task Force at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security - CISA.
25
03, 2024
March 25th – Tragic Anniversary
Last weekend there was a large fire at a wedding venue in the city where I live...the shocking photos and videos spread quickly across social media, and everyone in town was talking about it.
22
03, 2024
FF: In the Neighborhood
I love how one of the doors in today's post was designed as a stylized version of something that is very common here - old doors that have been repaired numerous times over the decades.
21
03, 2024
“I Love U Guys”
We are thrilled to announce that Allegion is now a Mission Partner of The "I Love U Guys" Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to school safety and crisis response.
20
03, 2024
WW: WOW!
Cesar Montalvo of Wesco sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, taken in the heavy equipment bay of a military facility. These doors are 18 feet tall!
19
03, 2024
I-Codes: Scan for Changes
When I went to the 2024 IBC to look for the section that requires egress doors to be readily distinguishable, I noticed something new...check it out in today's post!
18
03, 2024
QQ Follow-Up: Door/Hardware Contrast
Today's Quick Question: Do the model codes require a certain amount of contrast between the releasing hardware and the door, so the hardware is distinguishable for egress purposes?
15
03, 2024
FF: Well, that’s one way to fix it!
Kevin Taylor of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo of an installation problem that has been "fixed" with instructional signage.
14
03, 2024
TBT: Von Duprin 88
I'm sorting through some boxes of old papers and I found this ad from Architectural Record, dated May 1967! No, I was not collecting hardware memorabilia back then - I wasn't even born yet!
13
03, 2024
WW: Church Exit
While this may seem like "just another chained exit" (boooring...), I am reminded of the MANY times that locked or blocked exits have resulted in fatalities during an emergency.
12
03, 2024
QQ: Hardware Finish and Accessibility
This Quick Question hit my inbox last week, regarding the matte black finish: Do the accessibility standards include requirements related to the finish (color) of door hardware?
11
03, 2024
iDigHardware is 15!
I can hardly believe that my "4th baby" - iDigHardware - is 15 years old. During this milestone year, we will be making some changes to iDigHardware, and I need your help!
8
03, 2024
FF: Transom Bar
I saw this interesting Fixed-it Friday transom bar application posted by Jeremy Guthrie of Omega Door & Hardware...what do you think?
7
03, 2024
AIA Webinar – The Essentials of Fire Door Inspections
Are you familiar with the annual inspection criteria for fire door assemblies? Join us on Thursday, March 14th, for an AIA-approved webinar presented by Jeff Batick of Allegion.
6
03, 2024
WW: Courtyard Exit
I just love when I receive a photo that gives me the opportunity to explain something from a different angle, and today's WW photo from Marc Zolner of Allegion is a great example.
5
03, 2024
Decoded: Classroom Barricade Devices
This month’s Decoded question is a common one related to classroom doors in educational facilities: Are classroom barricade devices allowed by the model codes and accessibility standards?
4
03, 2024
Questions About Fire-Rated Glass?
Questions continue to arise regarding fire-rated glass and framing, and TGP has recently updated a page on their site that answers a couple dozen of the FAQs.
29
02, 2024
WWYD? Obstructed Exit
Paul Timm of Allegion sent me this photo, and it illustrates a really great question about doors in a means of egress. Is there something specific in the codes that would prevent this?
28
02, 2024
WW: Wordless.
What can I say about today's Wordless Wednesday photo, taken by an AHJ? I'm sure it's the result of a renovation, but I wonder how long it will stay this way.
27
02, 2024
WWYD? Locked Classroom Doors
Some states and local jurisdictions have already adopted requirements for classroom doors to be lockable. Should the model codes require locks on classroom doors? WWYD?
26
02, 2024
Podcast: The Changing Face of School Security 10
In the tenth episode of Paul Timm's podcast, he talks with John-Michael Keyes of I Love U Guys, a foundation dedicated to school safety, preparedness, reunification, and the joy of youth.
23
02, 2024
FF: Restroom Retrofit
Today's Fixed-it Friday photos came from a retired AHJ...continuous hinge retrofits can be a great way to address field problems, but this one needed to go (at least) one step further.
22
02, 2024
QQ: Modifying UL Listed Products
Today's Quick Question was prompted by a recent post about a continuous hinge retrofit on a fire door: If a UL Listed product is modified in the field, does this void the listing?
21
02, 2024
WW: Delays on the NYC MTA
I recently received a link from a New York City architect and public transportation commuter to a news article about a plan to use delayed egress locks on subway gates. Thoughts?
20
02, 2024
WWYD? Stairwell Reentry, Part 2
Today I have a follow-up question to yesterday's post about stairwell reentry. Neither of these questions is addressed in the codes, so I am looking for any insight from the field.
19
02, 2024
WWYD? Stairwell Reentry
In some buildings, a stairwell may have more than one door serving a floor. In that case, are all of the doors required to allow reentry, or could one door be designated for this purpose?
16
02, 2024
FF: Gym Exit Upgrade
Today's Fixed-it Friday photos are a great "before and after" example from a high school gymnasium. If you have photos you'd like to share, there's an upload link in today's post.
15
02, 2024
Creating Clarity: Are there disadvantages to fire-rated glass?
A recent article from David Vermeulen, North America Sales Director for Technical Glass Products (TGP) does some myth busting about fire-rated glass...check it out in today's post!
14
02, 2024
WW: Movie Theater Exit
Last weekend I took my daughters and their friends to the movies, and that's where I saw today's Wordless Wednesday application on the theater exit.
13
02, 2024
WWYD? Locking Stairwell Doors
When a stairwell door unlocks (or is always unlocked) to allow building occupants to leave the stairwell if it becomes compromised during a fire, what happens next? WWYD?
12
02, 2024
USGNN: Quick Code Q+A
When a controlled egress lock is installed in a health care unit where patients require containment for their safety or security, which release methods for egress are required by the model codes?
9
02, 2024
FF: Mullion Cylinder
Earlier this week I shared photos from a college visit with my youngest daughter. I also saw this mullion on campus with a key cylinder...is anyone familiar with the purpose of the cylinder?
8
02, 2024
QQ: Empty Silencer Holes
Today's Quick Question: On a fire door assembly where adhesive smoke gasketing is installed, is it acceptable to have open silencer holes under the gasketing?
7
02, 2024
WW: What’s the MATter?
Normally I'm extremely focused on door-related problems, but this one left me Wordless because the photo was taken in a fire department training facility.
6
02, 2024
Delayed Egress Locks in the Wild
I found the doors in today's photos on a recent trip to Indianapolis with my youngest daughter. Many of iDigHardware's long-time readers will remember her from the Olden Days.
5
02, 2024
QQ: Continuous Hinges on Existing Fire Doors
Today's Quick Question: When a continuous hinge is installed on an existing fire door assembly, the labels on the fire door and frame are often covered by the hinge. How should this be handled?
2
02, 2024
FF: Hex Key Dogging
I received today's Fixed-it Friday photo from Jim Elder of Secured Design, LLC - it was taken in an elementary/middle school. While this seems like a simple and common fix, it can severely impact security.
31
01, 2024
WW: “After-Hours” Security
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos were taken in a packed high school gym during a competition. The non-code-compliant security devices that were in place at the time illustrate one of the reasons why egress doors should comply with the codes at all times.
31
01, 2024
WWYD? Fail Safe or Unlock Upon Loss of Power
As I mentioned a while back, Mark Kuhn of Allegion will be helping me out with some code development work and other duties, including an occasional blog post. In today's post, Mark shares some thoughts on a term found in the model codes.