Door Hardware: Safety and Security Strategies

Part 1: Door Hardware: Important Technology Advances

Part 2: Door Hardware: Check Load Capacity, Cycle Frequency

Part 3: Door Hardware: Installation Considerations

Part 4: Door Hardware Maintenance: Problems and Solutions

Door Hardware: Installation Considerations

By Thomas A. Westerkamp - February 2011 - Doors & Hardware

To create more secure environments in facilities, managers need to carefully coordinate installation, inspection, and repair planning activities related to door hardware. Installers have to be aware of codes governing such issues as hardware placement and required clearances. Also, to comply with current codes, crash bars must be a certain distance from the floor, and clear openings must be a minimum distance, usually 32-40 inches between the door-handle protrusion and door jamb.

Managers need to alert the vendor if products require matching. For example, when installing new closers, managers need to identify the old closer and new closer types. With that information in hand, the vendor can provide the correct mounting plate, which has preset patterns for mounting holes for a variety of closers.

When positioning the mounting plate, installers can align it with holes originally drilled for the old closer, find a set of plate holes that line up, insert the mounting screws into these original holes, and attach the closer to the plate. This eliminates the time needed to drill new holes, and it avoids leaving unsightly holes in the door and frame that do not match the new closer.