Doors, Because That's Interesting (feat. Mia Merrel & Benji Bolick)

“When one door closes, another one… Well, it doesn’t necessarily open unless you have it programmed that way.” This is the kind of portal-related wisdom that Benji Bolick and Mia Merrel bring to the table, and it’s why we asked them to join us today.   People don’t generally think about doors unless they fail to function properly. Doors are just 1-3% of the construction cost, but they cause a huge percentage of the construction headaches. There is so much involved in the way doors play into security, access, and design.   Benji shares the backstory to his door doorkdom. He discusses the school-guard glass demo video (similar to this one).   We discuss the peace of mind that doors give us (although, as Tyler points out, it might not be quite as much as a 20-gauge under your bed).     The door fails that stand out most to Benji are the ones that disregard or violate building codes. He shares about the events that led to the requirement for egress doors to be open outward.     Mia and Benji list some recent trends in doors: 

• Single-occupancy restrooms with vacancy indicators 
• Wireless doors on short-term rentals 
• Smart garage doors that enable owners to check door status from their phones
• Intumescent foam as a fire-prevention door filler 
• Blast-rating requirements on military bases

  We explore the central role doors play in the path of egress from any building–something which of course becomes incredibly important in the case of a fire or other emergency.    Benji explains the importance of doors in preventing building damage from tornadoes and hurricanes. Mia refers to tests like this one that simulate the forces of such storms.     Mia talks through the testing procedures, and Tyler tries to persuade her to take a demotion to return to her job in the testing lab.    ADA compliance is arguably the most significant factor in doors over the last few decades, so we discuss its effects on door design. Although these measures are required by code only on public buildings, Mia explains the benefits of considering ADA design features in homes.    We discuss the fact that architects are sometimes annoyed by doors but that door-design must be considered very early in the process in order to ensure full functionality and code compliance. Benji and Mia have whole teams who consult on these issues with architects, designers, and contractors. Benji mentions the Norman door. (See a journalist complain about it here and then track down the original Norman.)   Benji shares a nightmare story about the Luxor hotel that incurred a million dollars in extra last-minute door-related cost overruns due to a single error repeated a couple thousand times.    Megaphone Messages: 

• Benji: Contractors, if you value-engineer something, please don’t value-engineer the hardware. There are a lot of design and accessibility issues involved there. You want people to have a strong handshake with your building.
• Mia: If you have questions about how to install something, call somebody who knows what they’re doing.

  Find Benji and Mia online: The Door Hardware Nerds Youtube Channel - Benji on LinkedIn - Mia on LinkedIn    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! 


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