David Bolton Cylindrical or Mortise Lockset: The Decision Criteria That Actually Drive the Right Choice Why This Choice Matters Before the Door Gets Prepped Specifiers, commercial contractors, and facility managers face this question on nearly every project: cylindrical lockset or mortise? The answer is... access control commercial door hardware cylindrical locks locksets mortise locks Aug 15, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Aluminum Storefront Door Hardware: What Actually Goes on That Opening and Why Each Piece Matters What This Guide Covers and Who It Is For Aluminum storefront doors are the most common commercial entrance type in retail, office, and mixed-use buildings -- and they account for a significant share o... aluminum door hardware commercial entrance electric strikes exit devices storefront hardware Aug 15, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Anti-Ligature Hardware for Behavioral Health Units: What the Opening Schedule Has to Get Right What This Article Covers and Who It Helps Behavioral health construction presents a category of door hardware problems that standard commercial catalogs were never designed to solve. If you are a heal... I-2 occupancy anti-ligature behavioral health hardware healthcare door hardware psychiatric unit door hardware Aug 15, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Hold-Back Function on a Mortise Lock: What Actually Happens at the Door When You Activate It What Is the Hold-Back Function on a Mortise Lock? A mortise lock with a hold-back function does one specific thing: it lets the occupant retract the latch bolt and keep it retracted without holding th... Grade 1 hardware commercial locksets fire door compliance hold-back function mortise locks Aug 15, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Occupied or Vacant? How Privacy Function Indicators Work (And Where ADA Complicates the Spec) What This Article Covers and Who It Helps This guide explains how privacy function indicators -- sometimes called occupancy indicators or status indicators -- work on commercial locksets, which applic... ADA compliance door hardware spec mortise locks occupancy indicators privacy function Aug 14, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Astragal Selection for Non-Rated Door Pairs: Getting the Meeting Edge Right Without Fire-Door Rules in the Way What This Article Covers and Who It Helps Non-rated door pairs -- double doors without a center mullion -- share a common problem: the gap at the meeting edge lets in light, air, sound, and foot traff... astragal commercial door hardware door pairs meeting edge seal weatherstripping Aug 14, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Why a Friction Hold-Open Arm Has No Place on a Fire Corridor Door (And What to Use Instead) The Problem Shows Up at Inspection, Not at Installation This article is for facility managers, commercial hardware contractors, and project architects managing corridor door openings in schools, healt... NFPA 80 automatic-closing devices corridor hardware door closers fire door compliance Aug 14, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton What CSI MasterFormat Section 087100 Actually Controls (And Where Hardware Specs Break Down) What This Article Covers and Who It Helps If you are writing, reviewing, or bidding a project with a door hardware specification, the section number on the cover sheet is almost certainly 087100 — Doo... 087100 CSI MasterFormat commercial construction door hardware specification writing Aug 14, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Half Surface Swing Clear Hinges on Hollow Metal Doors: When You Cannot Mortise the Door The Problem No One Talks About Until the Door Is Already Hung This article is for contractors, facility managers, and architects who face a specific field condition: a hollow metal door that needs swi... ADA door hardware half surface hinges hinge selection hollow metal door hardware swing clear hinges Aug 14, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Floor Closers on Double-Acting Doors: What Changes When the Door Swings Both Ways The Problem With Putting a Standard Closer on a Double-Acting Door This article explains how door closers work differently on double-acting openings, which closer types are appropriate, and what speci... center-hung hardware commercial door hardware door closers double-acting doors floor closers Aug 13, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Why Cold Storage Doors Lose the Seal at the Bottom First (And How to Fix It) The Bottom Gap Is Where Cold Storage Energy Goes to Waste This article is for facility managers, maintenance technicians, and commercial contractors working on walk-in coolers, freezer rooms, food pro... automatic door bottoms cold storage hardware commercial door accessories door bottom seals threshold and weathersealing Aug 13, 2026 Our Blog
David Bolton Heavy Weight vs. Standard Weight Hinges on Fire-Rated Doors: Why the Wrong Choice Fails the Annual Inspection What This Article Covers and Who It Helps This guide is for commercial contractors, facility managers, and architects who specify or maintain hinges on fire-rated door assemblies. It focuses on a spec... NFPA 80 commercial hardware fire-rated doors hinges inspection compliance Aug 13, 2026 Our Blog
