Making the Grade with Locks and Door Hardware

• By Karen Keating
• Nov 27, 2024

Managing and maintaining locks and door hardware across a school district or university campus is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Knowing the basics of common door hardware, including locks, panic devices and door closers, can make a difference in daily operations and emergency situations.

Fire and Life Safety Codes, First and Foremost
Security should never come at the expense of fire and life safety requirements. In almost all locations, doors along paths of egress must be able to be unlatched with a single motion, in the direction of egress. All facilities must adhere to local building and fire codes to protect the occupants. Codes will vary by location and are typically based on the model codes of the International Code Council (ICC) and/or the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); the well-known door hardware industry blog idighardware.com makes it easy to access this information.

Locks and door hardware should meet the requirements set by the American National Standards Institute and Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (ANSI/BHMA); they receive product grades for performance benchmarks in each applicable ANSI/BHMA standard. An overview of how they are evaluated and certified can be found in the Hardware Highlights section on buildershardware.com. They must also meet the criteria outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design and other adopted accessibility standards.

Not All Door Locks Are Alike – Choose Wisely
There are many types of door locks to choose from, including mechanical, electrified and electronic. Let’s break down the options:

Mortise Locks: Mortise locks require a pocket that is cut into the door edge to hold the lock body; they are inherently more robust and secure versus other lock types. While it takes more time to install due to the door prep, they typically enable the broadest range of standard and specialty functions. The mortise design provides the flexibility to support the widest array of key cylinder types as well as a variety of aesthetically pleasing trim options.

Cylindrical Locks: Cylindrical locks, sometimes called bored locks, are popular due to easier installation and door preparation. Although they provide an adequate variety of function and keying options, they do not have the same level of flexibility as mortise locks.

Electrified Locks: Can be either mortise or cylindrical in design and feature the addition of a small motor or solenoid that electromechanically moves the locking mechanism. These types of locks can be utilized with a switch to remotely lock or unlock the door, or as part of an integrated access control solution.

Electronic Locks: Available is mortise and cylindrical options, electronic locks feature built-in intelligence and are typically managed by an electronic access control system. Wireless electronic locks can be utilized on building interior doors including classrooms, laboratories and residence hall unit doors to deliver increased security and efficiency including centralized lockdown.

Locks with Visual Indicators: A growing trend is the use of visual indication trims that communicate the status of the lock. The messaging in the visual indicator window can aid in reassuring students and staff that the doors are locked, providing peace of mind and confidence in stressful situations.

Choose an ANSI/BHMA Certified lock from a trusted brand that is known to be reliable and secure. It should come as no surprise that Grade 1 locks are recommended for most applications within schools and universities as they provide the strength and durability needed to withstand high traffic and abusive environments. Industry best practices for securing classrooms1, based on five parameters, should be followed in K-12 schools whenever possible.

Panic Hardware for Perimeter, Corridor and High Occupancy Spaces
Panic hardware enables occupants to exit a building simply by applying force to the actuating member in the direction of the door swing. This force actuates mechanisms in the device that unlatch the door allowing free egress, which is crucial in emergency exit scenarios.

There are two types of panic devices and, while they are similar in construction, it is important to understand where they are used.

Panic Hardware: Panic exit devices are used on doors required to have panic hardware, but cannot be used on a fire door. Panic hardware typically has the dogging feature, which allows the latches to be held retracted to create a push/pull function.

Fire Exit Hardware: Fire exit hardware is required for fire doors to ensure doors latch when they close and help prevent the spread of smoke and flames. Fire exit hardware is not permitted to have mechanical dogging, but electric latch retraction/electronic dogging is permitted. When the latch is held retracted electrically, the door must become positively latched during a fire emergency by way of an automatic fail-safe device that is activated by an automatic fire detector.

In addition to the ANSI/BHMA A156.3 standards, both panic and fire exit hardware are listed to UL 305; while fire exit hardware requires an additional listing to UL 10C.

Since panic and fire exit devices play a critical role in compliance with fire and life safety codes, it is always a good idea to consult with a local door hardware or building code expert who can provide guidance on the right model for the application.

Door Closers – An Open and Shut Case
The function of a door closer is not just to close the door; a good door closer will also control the door in both the opening and closing cycles to prevent damage and injury caused by abuse, wind or other factors. Accessibility, as well as fire and life safety requirements, determine how, when and where to apply door closers. Common use case applications in educational environments include:

Fire Doors: During normal building operation, corridor doors are typically held open to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. However, as governed by NFPA 80 as well as local codes and standards, fire-rated doors must be closed at the time of a fire to prevent spread. Choose door closer models with integrated fail safe hold open features or combine a mechanical closer with a separate magnetic holder; these must release upon fire alarm.

Accessibility: Accessibility standards provide guidance on both the opening force and time to close in order to protect people with disabilities. Interior doors that are not fire doors must be able to be opened with a maximum of 5 pounds of force. Additionally, door closers must be adjusted so that it takes at least five seconds for the door to move from an open position of 90 degrees to 12 degrees from the latch. A variety of mechanical and automatic door operators are available to meet these needs by opening type.

Touchless: With a greater attention to health since the pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of touchless solutions. Touchless actuators paired together with automated door openers can reduce the number of touch points throughout buildings, eliminating the need to make contact with a door.

There are many considerations when choosing door closers that include frequency of use, projected wear and tear, aesthetics, as well as the necessary features and functions to comply with codes and standards. Given that door closers also play a vital role in fire and life safety, consulting with a local door hardware or codes expert is recommended.

Invest for Success
Many studies have shown that students who feel safe at school achieve better learning outcomes. Locks and door hardware are vital components of any safety and physical security plan; this is not an area to cut corners or neglect. Choose options from trusted and reputable manufacturers that meet industry requirements for operations, strength and durability. Full compliance with local codes, accessibility standards, as well as fire and life safety regulations, will ensure that students, faculty and staff are given the best opportunity to shine and succeed in a safe environment.

This article originally appeared in the November / December 2024 issue of Security Today.