Blog & News

Showing 81 - 88 out of 142

    What Is A Fire Door?

    This may seem like a straightforward question to answer; a fire door is a physical barrier in a corridor or room, that slows the spread of fire and smoke for a tested period, in turn protecting escape routes and a building’s users and property. On the surface this is true but as with so many aspects of fire safety, there are many complexities and specific requirements to be fulfilled to meet the required building regulations and achieve compliant fire rated door sets. In this blog, we’ll explain the main...
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    Escape Door and Panic Hardware Explained

    The phrase ‘panic hardware’ is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term but there are two distinct branches of hardware - panic and emergency escape. This blog covers the what, why, and where of emergency and panic devices, plus external access. What is Panic Hardware? Panic and emergency exit hardware are products...
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    What Is A Mortice Lock And How To Measure One

    In this blog we will answer the most regularly asked questions about the most common type of door locking mechanism, the humble mortice lock. As with many ironmongery products, it’s not as straightforward as it may first appear so we will guide you through the typical types of mortice lock cases, lock terminology and the relevant measurements to take when replacing a lock or installing from new. What is a Mortice Lock? <a...
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    A Guide To Different Types Of Electric Locking

    Within the door hardware sector, there is a vast array of mechanical locks, digital locks, and electronic locking devices. This blog will break down the five main types of electronic locking mechanisms on the market today. Electronic locks are an essential part of an access control solution and can be controlled by a variety of different activation devices, such as keypads or proximity readers. Electromagnetic locks are used in both commercial and domestic environments, including the hospitality sector,...
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    10 Tips To Make Sure Your Building Is Safe And...

    The clocks have changed, the winter season is here, and we are now living with less daylight hours for the next few months. This change, combined with relaxed COVID restrictions, means that we’re spending more time indoors. The usage of public indoor spaces will be increasing so now is the perfect time to ensure that your building is safe for all users. Conversely to this, as working from home continues to be the norm for some, staff taking annual leave before year end, and the inevitable time off due to seasonal...
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    How To Upgrade Your Commercial Washrooms And...

    Commercial washrooms and bathrooms can often be overlooked when budgets are discussed for corporate or hospitality refurbishment. However, how often has an outdated or poorly maintained bathroom left a lasting, bad impression with a customer, client or even your employees? You may ask, why does this perfectly functional washroom space need an upgrade, is it only refreshing the aesthetics? In this blog we’ll cover the key reasons for upgrading your facilities: improved hygiene, improved user experience and...
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    A Guide To External IP Rated Gate Access...

    Access Control  for external gates covers a wide range of products – from automatic gate openers to intercom systems and proximity readers. This blog covers key things to think about when considering adding access control to your existing gate.  What do you want it to do? Firstly, think about what you want to be able to achieve. Perhaps you wish to incorporate a fully automatic gate or maybe you simply...
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    Why am I still seeing ‘CE’ on architectural...

    Door Controls Direct’s Mike Trowbridge explains why some architectural ironmongery products still display a ‘Conformité Européenne’ (CE) mark, despite Britain having left the European Union more than 6 months ago… As we all know, Britain officially left the European Union at midnight on 31 January 2020. Until then, architectural ironmongery products (as well as all kinds of other goods) were required to display a ‘CE’ mark - CE standing for ‘Conformité Européenne’. Now I wasn’t...
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Showing 81 - 88 out of 142