Allegion Services Group: Best Practices | Quality Control Review

There are a few things you can look out for in reviewing hardware sets in the specifications and submittals of your project to avoid common issues down the line.

Fire Rated Openings:

• Gasketing is required in lieu of silencers.
• Must use hinges with a steel base metal.
• Fire exit hardware is required in lieu of panic hardware.
• Door closers are required.
• Must latch.
• Cannot have a hold open unless it is connected to the fire alarm system.

Designing An Opening:

• Unless instructed otherwise, all hardware specified will allow free egress at all times.
• 3 hinges are required for doors up to 90" in height, and one additional hinge for every 30" increment thereafter.
• Doors wider than 36" should use heavy weight hinges, continuous hinges, or pivots.
• Avoid designing doors greater than 4' wide and 10' tall. Few people will build and warranty an opening larger than this as hardware is not built or tested for the application.
• 6" stile and rails will allow you to use any standard hardware with the opening. The more narrow you go, the more limited the options for products and functionality.

Exterior Doors:

• Should have gasketing covering all sides of the opening to keep out the elements.
• Hinges should be non-ferrous base metals like brass, aluminum, or stainless steel.
• Provide a threshold suited to the sill detail.
• Electrified openings should be fail-secure.

Electrified Openings:

• Fail-safe means the door will not be secure, and one will be able to pass through.
• Fail-secure means the door will remain secure, preventing unauthorized access.