Ironmongery - A Quick Overview

A wise old ironmongery salesman once told me, “when specifying ironmongery, there are the 5 basic things (actually 8) that you do to doorsets…

1. You hang ‘em!
2. You open and close ‘em!
3. You lock and unlock ‘em!
4. You sign and seal ‘em! and……
5. You protect ‘em!”

- You hang doors using hinges or pivots that allow the door to swing between open and closed.
- You open doors using push plates or pull handles or lever handles that operate locks and latches.
- You keep doors open using cabin hooks, magnetic catches or electromagnetic hold open devices.
- You close doors using push plates or pull handles or lever handles or automatic door closers.
- You keep doors closed using catches, bolts, locks and latches.
- You lock doors using locks or bolts.
- You unlock doors using keys or electronic access control systems or panic bars.
- You sign doors using graphics and signage for names, room functions, fire safety and emergency escape.
- You seal doors particularly any gaps to the perimeter against fire, noise and weather.
- You protect doors against damage and wear and tear using door stops, kick plates, trolley plates and tough linings or otherwise against intruders by making it harder or slower to gain entry.

When specifying doorsets and ironmongery, you need some simple checklists.
Firstly you need to consider how the doorset is to function and how the door specification will work to meet the requirements. Here are a few briefing issues to consider such as: -

1. Visual privacy or visual supervision through the door.
2. Acoustic privacy or acoustic supervision.
3. Security against intruders.
4. Fire protection.
5. Weather protection.
6. X-ray radiation protection.
7. Protection against wear and tear.
8. Emergency escape.
9. Access for disabled people, including the blind and partially sighted.

Sometimes these issues may clash and need to be resolved, such as the need for security to keep intruders out, but maintain the need for emergency escape, or perhaps the need for visual supervision through the door yet maintain fire separation.