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The Importance of Hiring A Locksmith To Install Exit Devices

Exit devices serve a very crucial role by giving ease of movement to people during an emergency. These doors enhance safety precautions and measurements by swinging towards the particular direction people are exiting to. These exit devices come in handy when people are escaping from fire or any other kind of mishap in the office or house. Though these devices are indispensable in our lives, you need to hire locksmith professionals like ATL Locksmith Pros to install as well as maintain them for effective results.

Reasons To Hire a Locksmith For the Installation of Exit Devices

Tailored and Customized Services

Locksmiths And Exit Device Installation go hand in hand. There are many advantages a locksmith can bring to a customer. The first advantage is that services are tailored and designed to meet a customer’s specific needs. The professional will visit the premises and in consultation with the owner will draw up a detailed work specification to be agreed and signed off by the customer. Included in the terms and conditions agreement will be details of the specific services and the response times for various types of incidents. Services can include things such as a specified period for replacing damaged locks or when someone has lost their keys. The locksmith can arrange for temporary securing of premises and the replacement of the emergency doors and other exit devices when necessary.

Installation of Emergency Doors and Other Exit Device

Most of the locksmiths are specifically trained to fix or install any type of home security measures; including exit devices. It might seem like an easy task to install the devices by yourself, but it is usually advisable that you find a trained individual to do the work to minimize damage in the surrounding area and to ensure the exit door is installed correctly.

Reliable and Trustworthy Professionals

columbus-logoLocksmiths have been through a four year training period both on and off the job and have demonstrated their competency in the skills required to attain certification and be licensed to practice. They are equipped with a broad range of practical skills such as welding, metal work and a sound knowledge of health and safety procedures. They are required to undergo a criminal records check to ensure that they are trustworthy, and their fingerprints are retained on file by the police. They must hold insurance in case of accidents or damage to a clients property. Depending on whether they are working in the private or public sector the skills they need will require additional skills in mechanical and electronic engineering and computers to allow them to program and diagnose digital and electronic systems. This way, you are assured of reliable and trustworthy experts to install your exit devices.

Installation of Standard Emergency Exit Devices

exit-devicesAnother valuable service that a professional locksmith can provide is the installation of emergency exit devices in accordance with government regulations. In most commercial buildings if the expected occupancy is above a certain level, based on the squared footage of the area, then a single function exit device is required by law. If for example, it is the back door to a restaurant and the door is considered an emergency exit, then the door must be equipped with a panic bar. A panic bar allows, in the case of a fire, an individual to gain exit by just bumping up against the unit.

If the door is an exit on a small office or business such as a unit in a strip mall, then the best solution may be a single function lock. These locks incorporate a deadbolt as well as a lever handle; once the lever handle is pushed down, both locks release simultaneously. These locks are advantages over a panic bar because they offer the security of the deadbolt while maintaining the emergency egress requirements. Whether one needs a panic bar or a single action lock installed it is a good idea to have a business locksmith install a latch guard thus making the door resistant to door spreading as well as latch attacks such as sawing through the bolt.

 

Exit devices are necessary for the safety of occupants in case of fire breakout or any other mishap inside the building. However, for you to enjoy optimal services from these devices, it is advisable to seek the services of a professional locksmith. These experts will advise you in purchasing the right devices, install the exit devices and carry out regular maintenance routines for ultimate safety in case of an emergency.

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Tempe, Arizona Fire Codes And How They Pertain To Exit Devices

The city of Tempe, Arizona has recently amended some of its fire codes regulations to enable them to be at par with the 2006 international fire code laws. Specifically, when it comes to the new Tempe, Arizona fire codes and how they pertain to exit devices, below are some of the most notable amendments which have been enacted, thanks to tempelocksmithpros.com.

Door, gates and turnstiles

The whole of section 1008 of the new city of Tempe fire codes primarily dwell on the recommended features and functions of exit doors, gate and turnstiles. To begin with, a floor elevation is mandatorily on either side of the exit door, both featuring a similar elevation height. Nonetheless, there are several exceptions to this guideline. For instance, exit doors that serve dwelling units in group R-1 and R-2 buildings (hotels and residential units with 2 sleeping units respectively) are not affected by this law.

In such buildings, an exit door is allowed to open at the topmost step of an interior flight of stairs. That is as long as this exit door can swing easily over the topmost step of such a flight of stairs. Additionally, in such buildings, storm door and screen doors are also permissible if they can swing over the stairs or landing. Houses with external decks, patios or even balconies are also excluded from this given guideline of the Tempe, Arizona fire codes rule. Most especially if they are features of a type B (lowest building fire hazard level). In such units, an impervious surface, which is less than 4” beneath the finished floor level of an adjacent interior area is allowable. That is as long as the exit door (excluding storm or screen doors) doesn’t swing over the landing when opened.

Locks and latches

exit bar installingSection 1008. of the new city of Tempe, Arizona fire codes dwells on the locks and latches that can be equipped to exit devices. According to this regulation, locks and latches are permissible when they can be in a position of preventing the operations of such devices in the following circumstances. First of all, buildings that are used for correction or detention of convicts such as jails or penitentiaries. Buildings which are categorized as occupancy group A (moderate fire hazard level) with occupancy of three hundred or below. Group B, F, M and S (moderate to lowest risk of fire hazards) and also places of worship like churches. In the latter category, these kinds of building are allowed by the new guidelines to be fitted with key lockable exit devices, which are positioned on the egress side.

On the other hand, in the cases where egress doors happen to be utilized in pairs, approved automatic flush bolts are also permissible. That is as long as the given door leaf that bears the automatic flush bolts does not come with a door knob or any surface mounted hardware.

At the same time, group R, division 3 occupancy as well as individual dwelling units and guestrooms are also mentioned by the new Tempe, Arizona fire codes. The exit doors of these given buildings are now required by the law to be fitted with night latches, keyed deadbolts or even security chains. The only stipulation for equipping the exit doors with these devices is that they can be conveniently from the interior part of the building without having to use a tool.

Finally, the section 1008 of the amended Tempe city fire codes has now made it mandatory for an easily readable and durable signage to be posted on the egress side close to the exit doors. Such a sign must clearly state “This door is to remain unlocked whenever this building is occupied.”

Exit discharge

exit device3The section 1024 of the amended city of Tempe, Arizona fire codes, for the most part, offers guidelines on the right exit discharges building ought to have. Such exit discharges should offer a direct and unobstructed access to a public way. In the event where this is not possible, a safe dispersal region must be allocated on such properties.

This dispersal region should be able to accommodate not less than five square feet for each individual in the event of a fire outbreak. At the same time, it should also be located within the same property, and not more than fifty feet away from the building, which might need egress. Finally, such a dispersal region should come with a safe and unobstructed path from the building in question.

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Understanding Exit Devices

Most buildings all over the world are inspected yearly to ensure that they comply with the set standards in terms of safety and more. After thorough inspection, fire department provides you with a full report to help you make the necessary corrections if any. However, such inspections vary from one state to the other and therefore it is essential to understand the fire codes of your state before you commence your construction. Note that codes remind you of the things that should be met and the kind of exit devices, fire-alarm system, and fire sprinkler system to be installed.
Before you install the above systems, it is prudent to involve a specialist who understands how to install the needed systems properly.
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Exit Devices

They are also known as panic device, push bar or panic bar. These devices are used for unlocking the door during emergency situations. Today, each and every building should comply with the building codes, which make sure that every public building has at least one exit device. Fortunately, crash bar can be installed in a wide range of door types as a way to save lives in the event of fire, stampedes, terrorism attack and more. It has been found that panic can occur in situations of fire or explosions making the rescue process a bit tricky, but with exit devices, evacuations will be far much easy.

A door designated for exit does not have a handle on the outside. This feature makes sure that your home is secure. However, some doors meant for exit have been fitted with handles on the outside and inside as well. Such doors can be opened freely from either side allowing occupants to enter or exit the building with a lot of easy.

Factors to Consider when Installing Panic Devices

Ease of Installation

Commercial locksmith3Always choose the panic bars that are easy to install, repair and inexpensive to replace. For instance, a crossbar rim device the easiest to assemble. If you do not like crossbar, you may consider using push pad rim device, which is also the simplest to work with and needs no or little maintenance. Pad rim devices are suitable for buildings with high-traffic.

Safety

When installing an exit device, you should bear in mind the safety of your loved ones. A good panic device should comply with ANSI Grade 1 standards. In other words, devices should be designed in such a way that they can tolerate forced entry.

Available Options

Panic devices come in a wide range of options. As a result, you should choose the option that suits your safety needs. Many people prefer using cross bar devices due to the fact they offer incredible architectural finishing as well as available in a variety of colors.

Applications of Exit Devices

In general, panic bars are commonly used in care centers, learning institutions, retail stores, hospitals offices and more. These devices play a role in ensuring that the work place is secure and safe.

Types

The common types include: multi-point, rim, cable, touchpad, recessed, crossbar and mortise exit devices respectively. All these types comply with building codes while enhancing the safety of your property. In addition, they match different door types since they come in different shapes and colors.

Fire Codes

Fire CodesFire safety codes complement the building code. Generally, fire codes play an important role in preventing fires and make sure that the original plan of a structure is not compromised at all. These codes vary from state to state.
To comply with life safety codes, you should install exit devices in particular cases. These codes forbid the use of locks that may confuse or compromise the safety of the user. To enhance safety, fire devices should be self-latching in event of fire. Apart from being self-latching, fire doors should be able to close to prevent fire from spreading.
In most households, security, life safety and fire can be a day-to-day challenge. Some homeowners view security as a major concern and therefore end up securing their homes with unauthorized locks, which may pose risks to users in case of an emergency. It is advisable to go for an option that satisfies both concerns: life safety and security. Feel free to talk to fire inspector to help you through exit devices and their fire codes, so as to make an informed decision at the end of the day. This way, you will be able to make your home safe and secure for all.

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Why You Should Use A Locksmith To Install Exit Devices

Exit devices have become an indispensable part of life. Using these devices, one can easily open the doors from inside as they allow the doors to swing towards the direction people are exiting to. This gives more room to the people to move. Consequently, they help people to escape from fire as well as other mishaps that might occur in a work or house premises. Exit devices do not block the person who opens the door. This is extremely helpful in case of emergencies. Because of these devices, people don’t have a hard time to open the door. These devices are ideal in preventing people from hurting themselves whenever there is an emergency. However, for you to get the most ideal services from exit devices, you need to hire locksmith experts to install and maintain them. Here are various reasons why you should use a locksmith to install exit devices, thanks to the guys over at www.evkeys.net:

Security for your infrastructure: For building your business infrastructure you have to invest an enormous sum of money. After a massive investment, it becomes critical for you to protect the valuable structure from man-made disasters like thefts. You have to take advantages of the security services provided by professional organizations like locksmiths London.

CCTV CamerasProper surveillance and maintenance of the exit devices: Along with the structure, it is equally important for a business to keep its valuable and sensitive information and documents safe from thieves and competitors. So your business needs a comprehensive security network designed and maintained by experienced professionals. The security system should be designed in such a way that it must simultaneously protect your valuable business premises as well as valuable documents and information. By engaging a professional locksmith for taking care of your security concerns you can relax and stop worrying about the safety of the business once you have left the office.

Advanced security techniques: Similar to other fields, the security techniques used in exit devices have also advanced much along with the advancement of technology. From the old security systems using locks the exit devices systems have improved till the usage of codes and CCTV cameras. These modern security techniques can track and provide protection to each of the activities taking place inside your business premises. By hiring locksmiths with their experience and expertise in security techniques understand the complete security requirement for your company and install a comprehensive system accordingly.

Commercial Entry DoorComplete security plan: Locksmith experts make a detailed and well-devised plan to secure your premises from the entry and exit doors to the safes and drawers along with proper management. After discussing the plan with you, the company can accurately implement it to safeguard all aspects of your business premises. Along with properly installed monitoring CCTV cameras, you can get a complete picture of your premises and install an advanced alarm system to strengthen your security.

Aspects of the business security system: Locksmiths take into consideration all important security aspects of managing a security system efficiently and installs the security system accordingly. After installing the security systems all around your business premises, it becomes more necessary to manage the installed security system in a more efficient manner. As you may also want to restrict all or some of your employees from accessing some particular parts of the business premises, the exit devices security system has to be designed accordingly. Only a locksmith company that has the required experience and expertise can offer you effective solutions for these restrictions and security.

Reliability of the exit devices security service provider: Security of business is one of your most serious concerns, and you have to use the services of an experienced professional locksmith. Normally, a locksmith company has the required expertise and experience in securing other businesses as they are duly insured and licensed. Also, you can trust the locksmith company that has been in the security business for a long time and has gathered enough experience over the years. As your local agency, the company can help in whenever security is required.

Locksmiths provide security installation and maintenance solutions to different types of commercial buildings. For a modern business, it is equally important to safeguard its sensitive documents and information of the enterprise just like other valuable properties. You need to hire professional security providers for building and maintaining a comprehensive exit devices security system for your business to keep it safe.

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When and why Should A Business Change Or Rekey Their Locks?

To any business owner, the security of the business premises is paramount. No matter the size of the business, whether a big corporation mid-sized or even a small stall, it is imperative to ensure that security is maintained at all times. Particularly, the physical security of a business is always a great deal. It is therefore very important to put in place measures that will ensure that the business is always secure.

One of the frequently asked questions by the business owners is, “when should a business change or rekey their locks?” This is an important question that any business owner needs to ask. There are several instances when it is necessary for a business to rekey or change the locks. Thanks to our friends at www.lakewoodcolocksmith.com, here are some of the most important instances:

New premises

new house2When a business acquires new premises that were previously occupied by another business, it is always important to have the locks rekeyed or replaced. This is because, although the previous business owners have moved, they might still have access to the premises through the keys that might still be in their possession. Many people rarely understand the importance of changing the locks or rekeying. A business should not start operating before the locks have been changed. The business is usually vulnerable to attacks as not all former tenants might be trustworthy. Rekeying or changing locks is therefore very important for newly occupied premises.

It is therefore always recommended that a business owner ensures that the locks are replaced or rekeyed to exclude any possibility of any of the former business owners gaining entry into the premises. This is actually the very first activity that business owners should handle to ensure that the premise is secure for their business.

In the event of a robbery attack

BurglaryIn the event that the business is attacked by burglars, it is important to replace the keys or rekey. This ensures that the burglars’ chances of accessing a business premise are nullified. The burglars might have some inside information about the security of the place which might be the reason as to why they have chosen that particular business.

Any business that has been robbed or was a victim of a suspected foiled robbery, it is important that the owners have the locks rekeyed or replaced. This will exclude any chance that the robbers might have of accessing entry into a building. There are many common cases of break-in robbers getting assistance from the company workers. To avoid this, the company should replace or rekey the locks in the event of such happenings.

In the event of a lay off

This is especially common when employers are laid off forcefully. Most of these disgruntled employees are usually willing to do anything to get back at their former bosses. There have been many cases of attempted arson by many former employees to various companies. It is therefore important to replace or rekey the locks especially in the event that the company has laid off a large number of employees.

For business premises that constantly deal with risky commodities like money or precious stones, it is also recommended that the company replaces the locks or have them rekeyed after sometime. The argument behind this is that with time, the security measures are bound to be relaxed for the workers in such companies. It is therefore always important the security is beefed up every now and then.

 

The above are some of the many reasons as to when a business should consider changing or rekeying their locks. The simple act of replacing the locks could go a long way in saving the owner of the premises millions in the event that the robbers gain access. When selecting the locksmith to work on the locks, it is also important that the business owners are careful on who they choose.

A good locksmith is the one that can be trusted to offer good security to a business premise. The locksmith should be able to maintain a professional code of conduct that ensures that the security details of a client’s house or business remain confidential. It is therefore recommended that one carries out some background check on the locksmith before hiring them. This will give you a sense of what kind of services to expect.

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Best Options For Commercial Door Locks

Are you installing new locks for your commercial business? If so, you not only want to choose the top brand name products available today, but also have to understand what types of locks are best equipped to protect your commercial space. Although a traditional lock and key set might be cheap, this low price is going to mean ease of access for potential burglars looking to do harm. Rather, it is worth investing a bit more on high quality, well made, commercial door locks, to ensure your business is secure, and your property is protected from any potential threat in the area. These are some of the top options to look into, when choosing new commercial locks.
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Deadbolt –

Deadbolt lock1This is probably the most seen lock on commercial facilities and with just cause. It provides max security and allows locking from inside and out. The fact that manipulating is required from both sides, makes it tougher for potential burglars to break into your business with this heavy duty system. Some models require a key for locking both sides, which provides yet another security measure, ensuring your commercial space is fully protected.

Padlock –

PAdlock3Although not traditionally considered a “lock,” these systems are seen frequently on commercial businesses, especially in a garage setting, or in a warehouse type setting. They come in various sizes, grade strength options, and today offer a variety of additional security features, so you can better protect a commercial space. Some varieties are even keyless and rely on electronic technologies. Further, you can have them custom made by a locksmith, if you desire even more security and durable strength for added protection.

Electronic lock –

As the term implies, an electronic system is used to lock and unlock the system where these electronic locks are installed. Some top brands have an alarm device attached to them when opened, and can only be shut down with a passcode or fingerprint scan. So, this is another layer of security which ensures only those who have access to the commercial business, will gain access to the property. Touch pad and card system options are available today. Although they are pricey, these systems have built in, additional security measures in place, and depending on the brand chosen, offer additional alarms and security features, to further protect your commercial business space.

Mortise locks –

mortise lockThese are fitted onto external doors providing an added level of security to your business. They satisfy both police and insurance standards, because of the built in anti-pick curtain, along with the anti-drill plates. Still pins are also placed in the bolts, which affords yet one more security precaution for business owners who want the highest level of security possible, when choosing a lock system for their commercial facilities. Five lever, three lever, two lever lock models are all available with these lock systems. Depending on how much security you desire, how much strength you desire, and the amount of money you are willing to spend, you can choose from several mortise lock options when deciding on this model for your commercial business lock set system.

Traditional entry lock –

Although these typically offer a medium level of security, they can provide an additional security barrier when joined with a padlock or with deadbolt systems. Usually the outside knob requires a key to open/close, and the inside knob can be locked with a push down button, but of course depending on the manufacturer you choose, this will vary with each traditional entry lock system. Some models also require a key for you to lock both sides of the entry lock, which affords you with yet another level of security when protecting your business is of utmost importance to you.

There are countless options for you to choose from, when deciding on a lock and key set for your commercial business space. With this said not all are going to provide the highest level of protection, and some are far pricier than other model options. These are some of the top choices for you to consider when deciding on a commercial lock system. Depending on your budget and level of security desired, each business owner is going to settle on something a bit different, when installing a new lock set for their commercial space.

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