- Hinges
- Door closers
- Floor springs
- Electro-magnetic closers and static devices
- Locks and latches
- Lever handles, knob furniture and pull handles
- Sliding door gear
- Emergency and panic exit hardware
Hinges
All hinges must be adequate for purpose and must be fitted accurately, so that all hinge pins are in vertical alignment. Most of the hinges in this catalogue (Section 3) are graded according to BS EN 1935: 2002 and if in doubt, refer to the standards summary on pages 29-30.
Hinges are usually supplied dry by the manufacturers and should be lubricated immediately after installation. However, typically in the case of ball bearing type hinges the manufacturers will insert an amount of grease/lubricant at the time of manufacture. The recommendation is, as part of a building maintenance programme, that the hinges be checked, cleaned and lubricated periodically with a light machine oil (eg: 3-in-1 oil) - to maintain hinge efficiency, prolong the life of the product and to maintain aesthetic value. Exceptions are classed as maintenance free.The exception for special situations, such as dusty locations, where a mixture of oil and grit can act as a grinding paste, or public toilet areas, which are subject to hosing down or washing with detergent, which will remove the oil. Such situations require specialist dry film lubricants.
Hinges should be checked regularly for wear, loose screws etc.. Squeaking hinges are a sign of lack of lubrication, but frequent occurence is a sign of misalignment, and should be rectified immediately.
Failure to fix correctly or maintained inappropriately could invalidate any guarantee supplied by the manufacturer.
Door closers
All door closers must be adequate for purpose and must be fitted in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
All the overhead closers in this catalogue are rated according to BS EN 1154/5 (see pages 20-22) and the correct closer for the door must be fitted and adjusted properly. Failure to comply will invalidate the manufacturer's guarantee.
At least once a year the closer should be checked for wear, ensuring that the fixing screws are properly secure and any worn component replaced. The moving parts on the link arms should be greased. The closer settings must be checked to ensure smooth operation.
Only cleaning agents not containing corrosive and damaging components should be used.
It is also recommended that door stops be fitted, where practicable, to all doors with door closers, even if there is a backcheck within the closer.
Floor springs
The floor spring must be of a type suitable for the door it is to be fitted to, ensuring that there is no strain on the mechanical parts. If in doubt, see BS EN 1154/5 pages 20-22 for details. The spring must be fitted to the manufacturer's instructions and the pivot centres must be perfectly vertical. At least once a year the spring should be checked for correct closing speed, latching action etc.. The top centres should be checked and greased. Any damaged item should be replaced.
It is also recommended that door stops be fitted, where practicable, to all doors with floor springs, even if there is a backcheck within the floor spring.
Electro-magnetic closers and static devices
Any electrical hold-open device must be checked on a weekly basis.
Locks and latches
The correct operation of a lock or latch, assuming that it has been fitted correctly, is often affected by movement of the door and/or frame occurring perhaps due to distortion influenced by climatic conditions or wear on hinges or pivots inducing door drop.
The usual effect from these conditions is inability of the latch and deadbolts to easily engage the striking plate or keep, requiring an adjustment to their position on the frame, or an adjustment to the lip of the strike plate may be necessary to provide a more favourable striking angle.
Freedom of operation of the latch action in conjunction with the strike plate or keep is particularly important when the door is fitted with a door closing device and also, of course, on fire doors.
It is important that the holes in the frame behind the strike plates are deep enough (does not apply to strikes with back boxes), and are free from foreign matter, to ensure unrestricted movement of the bolt or bolts. Lubrication, when required in the context of free latching of a door, need only be applied to the sides and striking face of the latch bolt.
Pin tumbler and disc cylinders (see Section 2 page 95) should be lubricated with either flake graphite or a PTFE lubricant.
Lever handles, knob furniture and pull handles
These should be checked periodically for secure fixing. Many problems occur where the incorrect wood screws are installed and where the material to which the products are fixed is unsuitable. It is also important to check that the lever or knob fully retracts the latch bolt, for safety reasons. Poor operation could be attributed to badly fitted furniture or lack of lubrication of the rotating parts. Spindle grub screw fixings should be checked and tightened or if missing, replaced.
Sliding door gear
All tracks and channels must be straight and level with fittings adequate for the weight, size and usage of the doors installed plumb. External door gear may require a protective coating to combat corrosion. All floor channels and bottom tracks should be cleared of debris to allow unimpeded travel of the guides or rollers.
Emergency and panic exit hardware
All these products must be fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions and must comply with either BS EN 179 or BS EN 1125 (see pages 17-20). Failure to do this could mean that the device will not be covered by the manufacturer's guarantee or work correctly.
It is vital that all emergency and panic exit devices are inspected and maintained properly to ensure safety is maintained when exiting a building in any situation.
To ensure these devices are functioning correctly, it is recommended that a weekly inspection is made to check for damage/operation and that the keeps are kept free of any obstruction, especially the floor socket. Then every three months, a check should be made to ensure all fixings are secure and that all the units are lubricated where necessary.
(Produced or shown by kind permission of Häfele UK, information given correct at time of print Aug 2008)
