By Stephen St Amour, AHC, QDOC, QFDI

Commercial door openings are often taken for granted until something goes wrong. A door that won’t latch, drags on the floor, or fails a fire door inspection is rarely the result of a single harmful component. More often, it’s because the door opening assembly wasn’t treated as a complete system.

At DOIT, we encourage professionals to evaluate every commercial door opening through four essential functions: hang, lock, control, and protect. This approach supports proper documentation, code-compliant installation, and long-term performance across a wide range of building types.

The Door Opening Is a System

A door opening is more than a door and a lock. It’s an integrated assembly that includes the door, frame, hardware, anchorage, and often electrification. Each component affects how the opening performs in daily use, during emergencies, and over the life of the building.

Small coordination issues such as the wrong hinge type, improper frame anchorage, or an incompatible strike can lead to operational failures, accessibility concerns, or failed inspections. Organizing the opening into four functional categories helps design teams, installers, inspectors, and facility managers communicate clearly and make better decisions from documentation through installation.

Hang: Supporting the Door and Maintaining Alignment

The purpose of hanging hardware is straightforward: support the door’s weight, allow smooth operation, and maintain proper clearances over time.

This begins with the door frame and how it is anchored to the surrounding construction. Wall conditions matter. Frames installed in flexible or under-supported walls can shift, even when they are initially plumb and level.

Hinge and pivot selection should be based on door size, weight, usage, and fire-rating requirements. While standard butt hinges are common, heavier or high-traffic doors often require heavyweight or continuous hinges to reduce wear and prevent sag. Proper shimming, particularly at hinge locations, is critical, and steel shims are required at fire-rated openings.

When doors begin to drag or bind months after installation, the root cause is often related to hanging hardware or wall movement, not the door itself.

Lock: Securing the Opening and Ensuring Reliable Latching

Locking hardware plays a critical role in both security and life safety. The goal is not simply controlling access, but ensuring consistent latching and compatibility with the rest of the door opening assembly.

Lock type and function should align with how the space is used. Strike selection must match the door and frame preparation, and keying decisions should be established early. When electrified door hardware is involved, coordination becomes even more critical. Power transfer, request-to-exit devices, and access control timing all influence how reliably the opening functions.

For fire-rated door assemblies, listed and labeled components must be used together, and the opening must remain self-closing and self-latching. Missing fasteners, field modifications, or mismatched products are common issues identified during fire door inspections.

Control: Managing Door Movement and Operation

Controlling hardware determines how a door moves—how fast it opens, how it closes, and how it interacts with users and the building environment.

Door closers must be appropriately selected and adjusted to balance accessibility, durability, and reliable latching. Sweep speed, latch speed, and backcheck all help protect the door, frame, and hardware. Stops prevent damage, coordinators manage the closing sequence for paired doors, and hold-open devices must align with life-safety and fire-alarm requirements.

In buildings with access control systems or fire alarm integration, door control requires close coordination between mechanical and electrical components. Improper timing or adjustment often results in slamming doors, latch failures, or premature hardware wear.

Protect: Preserving Performance and Safety

Protection focuses on sealing, durability, and long-term performance of the opening. Gasketing, sweeps, and thresholds help manage air infiltration, sound transmission, smoke movement, and light. Armor plates, kick plates, and edge guards protect openings in high-traffic or high-abuse environments.

Sealing must be balanced. Over-sealing can create excessive resistance, interfering with accessibility and latching, while under-sealing compromises performance. On fire- and smoke-rated door assemblies, protective components must preserve the integrity of the opening and meet listing and code requirements.

Thoughtfully selected protective hardware helps extend the life of the opening and supports consistent operation over time.

Why This Approach Matters

When hang, lock, control, and protect are considered together, door openings function as intended. Documentation is more precise, installation issues are reduced, and ongoing maintenance becomes more manageable.

Many common door problems—doors that won’t latch, fail inspection, or wear prematurely can be traced back to a lack of coordination. Viewing the opening as a system, rather than a collection of parts, helps prevent those issues before they start.

This framework provides a practical foundation for designing, installing, inspecting, and maintaining commercial door openings that are safe, code-compliant, and built to last.

Summary: Key Takeaways You Can Apply Today

• Design every opening as a system. Confirm that the hanging, locking, controlling, and protecting functions are compatible, coordinated, and documented as a complete door opening assembly.
• Match hardware to real-world conditions. Door weight, traffic level, wall substrate, and fire-rating requirements should drive hinge selection, lock function, and closer type.
• Prioritize reliable latching. Proper strike selection and closer adjustment resolve the majority of “door won’t latch” issues encountered in the field.
• Respect code and listing requirements. Use the listed components for fire-rated openings, maintain self-closing and self-latching functionality, and ensure the operation remains accessible and user-friendly.
• Plan electrification early. Coordinate power transfer, request-to-exit devices, and access control timing with mechanical hardware to prevent binding, bounce, and the need for exposed conduit.

By Stephen St Amour, AHC, QDOC, QFDI

As an architect or facility professional, developing clear and accurate project specifications is essential. You’ll often find yourself choosing between three viable options: Manufacturer Specification Writers (MSWs), Independent Specification Writers (ISWs), and Distribution Specification Writers (DSWs). All three bring valuable strengths to the table, and understanding those differences can make it easier to decide which option best supports your project.

Manufacturer Specification Writers (MSWs)

Pros

Strong Product Expertise
MSWs work directly for manufacturers, which may include a single product line or a family of related brands under one parent organization. This structure allows them to offer deep product insights while still focusing on a cohesive product portfolio. MSWs work directly for manufacturers, so they live and breathe the products they support. They can offer detailed technical insights, performance data, and the most current compliance information.

Consistency Across Projects
Because MSWs focus on a specific product line, their specifications naturally promote consistency, an advantage for projects where uniformity is important.

Quick Access to Updates and Support
If you need clarification or the latest product information, MSWs can typically provide it right away since they’re closely connected to the manufacturer.

Budget-Friendly Option
Many manufacturers offer this service at little or no cost, which can be appealing when managing tight project budgets.

Cons

Potential for Product Bias
Since MSWs represent one manufacturer, their specifications may lean heavily toward those products, even when other options might better match your project needs.

Limited Range of Solutions
Their focus is naturally limited to their company's offerings, which means you may miss out on alternative solutions available elsewhere in the industry.

Possible Overreliance on One Manufacturer
Depending solely on MSWs can create a long-term dependence that may limit flexibility on future projects.

Independent Specification Writers (ISWs)

Pros

Objective, Unbiased Perspective
ISWs aren’t tied to any particular manufacturer. Their recommendations are based on what's best for the project, not a specific product line.

Wide Industry Knowledge
Because they work across manufacturers and product categories, ISWs bring a broader understanding of market options, trends, and innovative approaches.

Flexible, Customized Specifications
ISWs can tailor specifications to your project’s unique goals and constraints, adapting quickly when changes arise or new technologies emerge.

Clear Project Alignment
By working closely with all stakeholders, ISWs ensure the specification aligns with the project’s intent, budget, and timeline.

Cons

Higher Upfront Cost
Hiring an ISW typically involves a fee, reflecting their independence and technical expertise.

Finding the Right Match
Not all ISWs work the same way. It may take some effort to find someone whose experience and style align with your project’s needs.

Variability in Deliverables
Quality can vary from one ISW to another, so reviewing credentials, references, and past work is important.

Distribution Specification Writers (DSWs)

Pros

Multi‑Brand Product Knowledge
DSWs work for distributors who carry several manufacturers' lines. This gives them experience with a broad range of products and solutions, often across multiple price points and performance categories.

Application-Focused Expertise
Because distributors frequently support contractors, installers, and end users, DSWs tend to be highly attuned to real-world application, installation challenges, and compatibility considerations.

Local Market Awareness
Many distributors operate regionally, giving DSWs a strong understanding of local building preferences, code enforcement trends, and market dynamics that may differ from national norms.

Established Relationships
If a distributor has supplied materials for previous projects, DSWs may have an existing relationship with the building owner or facility team—helping ensure continuity, trust, and familiarity with long-term needs.

Cons

Product Availability Limitations
While DSWs offer broader options than MSWs, they are still limited to the brands their company distributes, which may not represent every viable solution in the market.

Variability in Expertise
Some DSWs are deeply experienced in specification writing, while others focus primarily on sales support. Their comfort level with technical specifications can vary.

Potential for Sales Influence
Although not as narrow in focus as MSWs, DSWs may still lean toward products that are readily available, stocked, or strategically promoted by their employer.

Considerations for Architects and Facility Professionals

When selecting a specification writer, architects and facility leaders should consider not only technical expertise but also familiarity with building operations, long-term maintenance needs, and the project’s broader objectives. A strong relationship, built on trust, communication, and past successful outcomes, often plays a major role in determining who is chosen for a project.

About the Writer

Stephen St Amour brings a unique and comprehensive perspective to this topic, having served in all three roles throughout his career, within distribution, as an independent consultant, and as part of a manufacturer’s specification team. His experience across these environments offers valuable insight into how specification practices differ depending on the role and the organization supporting it.

It’s not uncommon for seasoned specification writers to have worked in multiple capacities over the years. Those who have spent significant time in the industry often accumulate a broad and well‑rounded understanding of products, applications, and stakeholder needs. This depth of experience makes them especially effective in navigating complex project requirements.

Regardless of the type of specification writer you choose, the relationship you build with them, and the trust you place in their judgment—plays a major role in whether they are selected for a project. Familiarity, reliability, and past positive outcomes often influence decision‑making just as much as technical expertise.

Final Thoughts

MSWs, ISWs, and DSWs all play meaningful roles in creating effective project specifications. MSWs offer deep product knowledge and can be a cost‑saving resource, ISWs provide broad-based expertise and objective recommendations tailored to project needs, and DSWs contribute practical application insight, multi-brand familiarity, and valuable local market awareness.

In most cases, the architect or building owner will choose one primary resource to develop the specification, whether that’s an MSW, ISW, or DSW, based on the project’s priorities, level of independence needed, and the type of expertise they value most. Each option offers its own advantages, and selecting the right fit ensures the final specification is accurate, aligned with project goals, and supportive of long‑term performance.

 

By Laura Frye Weaver, DAHC, CDC, CFDAI, CSI, CDT, CCS, QFDT, QFDI, QDOC

As a collaborator on the recent PASS white paper, Compartmentalization for Life Safety – The Role of Fire Doors and Secured Access During Crisis Events, I’ve spent significant time studying how the doors inside our schools—often overlooked—can play a critical role in both fire and active assailant situations.

What we found is straightforward but powerful:

The same doors designed to protect us from fire can also support security when used, maintained, and coordinated correctly.

This post provides a concise overview of key concepts from the white paper. For deeper guidance and practical tools, I strongly encourage school leaders, facility teams, and design professionals to read the full PASS white paper, which expands on every topic covered here.

Why Compartmentalization Matters

Whether a school faces flames or a violent intruder, the underlying strategy is the same:

Isolate the danger. Buy time. Protect life.

Compartmentalization uses fire-rated doors, smoke barriers, and separation walls to divide buildings into safer zones. Traditionally a fire-protection strategy, it has also become an essential part of modern school security planning.

In both fire and active threat scenarios, these compartments help:

Schools already have many of these components in place; they simply need intentional planning to make them work for both fire and security.

The Doors Already Working for You

Schools often have multiple types of interior doors that can serve dual purposes when properly configured and maintained:

1. Cross-Corridor Doors

2. Stairwell Doors

3. Unit or Area Separation Doors

4. Smoke-Barrier Doors

These are not simply passageways—they are life-safety tools. To be effective, doors must close, latch, and operate consistently while maintaining code-compliant egress.

Fire Safety Lessons Applied to Security

Fire protection research offers insights directly applicable to human threats.

In a fire:

Option-Based Active Assailant Response

In contrast, active assailant incidents require flexible, situational decisions. Depending on the threat location, occupants may:

This approach ensures occupants can take the safest action available in real time.

Emergency Responder Access: A Critical Balance

While interior doors can provide meaningful protection, they can also create challenges for police, fire, and EMS if they cannot access secured zones efficiently.

Responders may face:

A key message from the PASS paper:

A locked door may protect occupants, but it can also delay responders when seconds matter.

Schools must balance containment with free, immediate egress and responder access.

Best Practices for Schools

To ensure doors function as intended during both fire and security events, schools should:

✔ Audit all compartmentation doors

Check latching, locks, closers, fire ratings, and overrides.

✔ Ensure free, code-compliant egress

Doors must open easily from the egress side—no keys, tools, or illegal barricade devices.

✔ Strengthen hold-open devices

Use appropriate magnetic holding force to prevent nuisance closures.

✔ Train staff on evacuation vs. lockdown

Not all emergencies require shelter-in-place; some require immediate escape.

✔ Maintain hardware consistently

Doors are only as reliable as their last inspection.

The Bottom Line

Compartmentation works best when fire safety, security, and emergency response are planned together. Fire-rated and secure-access doors protect our schools every day—often without anyone noticing. When schools understand their purpose and maintain them properly, they become one of the most effective layers of protection available.

For a deeper dive into the strategies and recommendations behind these concepts, I strongly encourage you to read the full PASS white paper, which provides extensive, actionable guidance.