Commercial Door and Access

General Lock Maintenance Part: 1

2007-07-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

Locks have seemingly been around since the beginning of time. The first versions were made out of stone and or wood. The only problem is you needed a wheelbarrow to carry them, and termites were someones best lock pick. Nowadays we have locks made out of a variety of different steels, alloys, and plastics. They should last forever right? Wrong. There are a few issues and inherent problems with the modern lockset that need addressed regularly.

Over this series I will help you self-service and maintain your locks. This will help both you, as the customers, and us, as locksmiths.

Lesson one: Lubrication.

There is a constant battle that occurs within any mechanical moving thing. It is caused by two parts that have to move in different directions in close proximity to each other. This can cause the parts to wear down over time, and cause failure. I will help you try to cut down and/or eliminate this problem.

1. Get lubricant. There is a big debate about what type, but we use "J&B Bros. PB Blaster". It is a thin penetrating oil. This allows it to “creep” into areas where heavier lubricants cannot get. We stay away from graphite, and the all too common “water displacement” oils due to the fact that graphite causes a mess, and the other dries and leaves a sticky residue that causes more problems. Also, try and get one with a tube. This allows you to spray neatly in small areas.

2. Ok, we have our lubricant. Now get a roll of paper towels or an old rag. You will want this especially if you haven’t done this before. Some lubricants stain if left on a surface for too long so you want to wipe up any oops spots quickly.

3. Get a blank key. This will be used to drive the pins all the way up. This insures that you get good lubrication into the lock. You can stop by your local locksmith shop or go to a hardware store and buy one. They are inexpensive.

4. Lets get on the same page here. I’m going to go over some terminology so you are better informed. You will either have a knobset, leverset, or deadbolt on your door. If you have a set that looks like a pitcher-handle, it is what is referred to as a handleset. Every one of these has three basic parts the inside handle, outside handle (normally containing the lock-cylinder) and the strike or bolt. The only other part we are going to worry about right now is the lock-cylinder. Simply put it is where you put the key in.

We will refer to the door in three parts, inside, outside, and jamb.

5. You are ready to spray. First take the tube and put it in the spray nozzle. If you do not have one, take notice where the spray nozzle is and just be careful. Next we are going to start on the lock-cylinder. You want to spray lubricant into the lock for a good two count. One------two------stop. Next take your paper towel or rag and wipe any excess lube of the surface of the lock or door. Now take the key blank you have and run it completely in and out of the lock-cylinder about five times. Notice the grime suspended in the lubricant you pulled out on the key. Wipe the key off and set it aside. Now go to the jamb side of the door. On knob, lever, and handlesets you will have a latch. It is spring loaded and meant to hold the door closed after you shut it. These are also the biggest causes for most lock problems. On deadbolts you will have a bolt. We will address this in a minute.

Now, take your finger and push the latch all the way in. Now take the lubricant and spray in the deepest hole you can see. Once again only for a two count. Wipe off any excess lubricant again, but keep watching, it will seep lubricant for a while this time.

Move the latch in and out with your finger about five times.

On bolts you are going to do virtually the same thing but you will turn the lock to move the bolt. You will have to be more careful as well to get the lube into the lock. There isn’t as much of a hole. You can also make the bolt come out and the spray all sides of it and retract back into the lock as well.

That’s pretty much it. If there are any more places that you see that are sticky, or difficult to operate give them a little spritz with the lubricant. You will want to repeat this process on all of your locks in your home. On most homes this needs to be done at least yearly but we recommend doing this at least every six months. In high salt environments you will want to do this every three months.

Doing this will help you avoid major lock problems and the dreaded late night lockout. It is a simple but necessary process for the well being of your locks.

Next week we will cover the security of your locks and how to check that they are properly installed and working the way they should.

Access control

2007-06-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Access control

There are many different forms of access control. The main reason for access control is just as phrased. To control the access of an area or areas throughout a structure. This is of course not just limited to free standing structures but also includes gates and passageways.

One example is the common door. Certain considerations need to be addressed when applying access control to a simple door. One of the most important being whether the door in itself provides the amount of security needed for the application. If the door is easily bent, damaged, or bendable this should be reconsidered for the application. Another is safety. If the door is a designated fire exit it needs to allow egress (exit) at all times. Simple ways to determine this is to either look at the fire exit plan, or just look to see if the door has a lighted sign above, or anywhere around the opening. Special considerations need to be taken in to the planning of doors like this.

Convenience is always a good reason for access control. Some businesses have doors that will “Buzz” patrons, or employees in or out from a common area. These can be seen in banks, offices, and after hours convenience stores. I say convenience because these rarely offer true security but more of ease of access so a receptionist, teller, or clerk doesn’t have to open the door manually. This allows for less fatigue and keeps the person who authorizes entry in a safe place.

Another important consideration is credentials. Not passports, or papers, or ranking, but something that says you are supposed to be there. These come in the form of cards, codes, key tags, keys themselves, and even remote transmitters. There are so many different forms it can be staggering. When planning a system you need to figure out how, where, and when the system will be used. An example is if you have a common situation where some ones hands are occupied a RFID system can be used. This uses a reader that is installed in the ceiling and automatically detects the credential that the person has on their person, eliminating the need to pull it out and hold it up to something.

Credentials can carry information on them as well such as, ID numbers, names, departments, and time zones. All of this information is transferred to a host terminal or stored inside the unit and can be reviewed later. This is called an audit trail. An audit trail allows a system to track when someone entered and or exited an area that is controlled. This feature can be handy such as rollcall tracking. This allows a real-time view of where someone is in the building. In industrial applications this can be a life saver. Imagine if a disaster happened in a facility. A muster station is installed in a designated evacuation site. This will allow everyone to check into the station as they come to safety. The administrator can then view who is, and who is not, evacuated from the facility and can direct search and rescue to the areas that are needed immediately.

There are many, many, different reasons for access control, both in business and in residential applications. From convenience to security, there are demands everywhere. There are also many different forms, from automatic gates, to maglocks, to electronic strikes, to pushbutton locks. The forms are endless.

We are happy to help answer any questions that you may have, and tailor a system to suit your needs, no matter the size or scope. From the customer that is thoroughly confused, to someone who knows exactly what they need, we are here to help. We can design, sell, and install, whatever you may need. We also offer programming and data maintenance services to keep you going with little or no need to change codes or assign credentials. Feel free to call us or send us an e-mail with any questions and we will contact you ASAP.

ADA Compliance Information Update

2007-05-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

On May 7, 2007, another installment from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. DOJ was released adding chapters 5 and 6 to their series of technical assistance documentation for state and local officials. Commercial buildings and government facilities within Central Florida are subject to the code requirements for door and access construction, and our company can help.

Government and commercial businesses are expected to comply with building code and requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their programs, services, activities, and facilities. Commercial Door and Access is ADA compliant, and stands ready to assist with advice for new construction or retrofit of existing buildings.

Here is a link to the latest information just released entitled ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments. As stated on the home page of our main website, we stay on top of ADA developments for our Florida clients, so call or email us if you have any questions about ADA compliance and your next project.

TAGS: advice news building code

Florida Business Emergency Exit Advice

2007-05-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

As you review safety and procedures for exit doors in your Florida commercial business, the most important thing to remember about safety is ease of use. When someone needs to get out of a building they must be able to leave without having to ask directions to exit signs, get special tools like keys to open doors, or have special knowledge and training to operate locks. All openings must be capable of activation with one motion such as lever handles.

If several people congregate in a room, all your exits must be able to open with very little outward force by leaning into a safety device like panic bars. Your Fire Marshall is the one who will make final decisions for his jurisdiction, so do not buy hardware for your property without getting their okay or from your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). You can always find out who that is through your local Florida community or city building department.

These rules are interpreted differently by whoever reads them. For example, when I took a class on the subject our two instructors were not in agreement with many of the issues. This brings me to a simple conclusion; they get paid to make decisions, so go ahead and let them, but if the project is long term or there are several of them in that office, get approvals in writing.

When I decide on a certain way I want to set up my commercial door safety hardware I will normally bring floor plans in with a hardware schedule and say "This is the way I think will be best.", and ask for advice on any weakness in the plan. Work with local Florida commercial building authorities a few times and they will know you well enough that they will tell you to quit bothering them. When you're really up on the material they may call you for special advice, and may even recommend your company as the experts that will get the job done right.

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TAGS: business advice commercial door emergency doors safety advice