Door Industry Journal - Spring 2016

As specifiers and industry professionals will be aware, selecting the right door components is critical to ensuring their long-term reliability and safety. BS ISO 15686-5:2008 (Buildings and constructed assets. Service life planning. Life cycle costing) defines lifecycle costs as: “The cost of an asset throughout its lifecycle while fulfilling the performance requirements.” It is estimated that where doors and their hardware represent less than 1% of a building’s initial cost – they will then account for over 80% of the building’s maintenance costs, so we can see the absolute importance of taking a long term view when it comes to product specification. To achieve a robust specification, it is crucial to consider where the product will be installed and how it will be used. It may seem obvious, but actually ensuring a door is easy to use can prevent damage and wear over time - by reducing misuse by frustrated users. For example, choosing a door control product that includes a backcheck feature will protect the door, ironmongery and the surrounding area from aggressive door opening. The ‘Thinking Backcheck’ feature fitted to the majority of DORMA door closers allows a door to be fully opened during normal operation without incurring any increased resistance, but will cushion and arrest the door at 85º to 90º if opened aggressively. This is especially important for fire doors where damage can compromise its performance in the event of a fire. A Delayed Action closer allows the door to stay open longer allowing more people or slower moving traffic through the door before it begins to close. For certain applications such as hospitals, where beds, trolleys and wheelchairs are moved frequently, this ease of movement through the door can prevent accidental damage to the door leaf and reduce the number of open/close cycles the door is subjected to. The delay is controlled by a valve and so can be adjusted to suit each application. The level of use that a door will be exposed to is another important consideration. In high traffic areas such as corridors, door components will be subjected to thousands of open/close cycles a year and potentially millions throughout its life. Electro- magnetic hold open or free swing door solutions allow doors to be held open during normal use and close automatically upon activation of the fire alarm, or in the event of a power failure. As the doors are operated less frequently these systems not only improve the ease of access through the building but also help to reduce wear and damage. This in turn reduces the lifecycle costs while still ensuring compliance with both fire and access regulations. Furthermore, the risk of intentional damage in areas such as schools, should also be a factor to take into account. Choosing slide arm door closers, or concealed door controls as an alternative to standard ‘scissor’ arm, surface mounted door closers can prevent vandalism and abuse. By specifying and installing the correct high quality components based on full product information, specifiers can help ensure the doors continue to meet regulations even if standards are updated. For example in 1991, DORMA supplied door closers to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. More than 20 years on, the original products continue to function correctly on the original doors, and comply with all current Building Regulations and Product Standards. The products did not need to be replaced despite numerous changes to legislation, such as the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and maximum opening forces introduced with Approved Document M following the 2010 Equality Act. Ensuring door components are not only compliant but also capable of standing the test of time is a complex but important task. Selecting high quality doors and components that are suitable for the application will help to ensure that maintenance, repair and ultimately replacement costs are minimised. Practical guides are available to help specifiers make an informed decision when it comes to choosing the correct door components for each application. For further information download DORMA’s “Which Door Control?” document: http://www.dorma.com/gb/upload/articles/8219/DORMA_Which_Door_Control.pdf 93 THE door industry journal spring 2016 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk building hardware feature Electromagnetic Hold-open door closers are ideal for high traffic areas and reducing wear and tear.