You’ve seen them everywhere. Panic bars – also known as “push bars” or “crash bars”- provide a convenient way for large groups of people to exit through an egress door quickly. Aside from ease-of-use, panic bars also have a security function and in some cases are required by building safety codes.
For example, if the room capacity in a space designed for educational or assembly exceeds 50 occupants, panic hardware is required on all exit doors. Doors that are designated as fire exits require special hardware that must meet fire codes as well. The type of latching system may also fall under state or local building codes, depending on the application.
Style and function. There are two basic types of panic bars, but many different hardware configurations that make installing or repairing commercial doors not necessarily a do-it-yourself project. The two most common styles of panic bar styles are:
- Touchpad
- Crossbar
Touchpad panic bars are typically flush mounted to the inside of the door – usually a steel or hollow core door. Crossbar style is most often used on glass doors where flush mounting is not an option or a lower profile design is desired.
Versatility. Panic bar hardware provides many different options for securing and latching doors with panic bars. These are the five basic types of panic hardware that is used to secure doors with panic bars:
- Rim
- Mortise
- Surface Mount Vertical Rod
- Concealed Vertical Rod
- Multipoint
We are often called in to retrofit existing commercial doors that have panic bars with a solution that to meets the owner’s new requirements – whether the building has changed hands or purpose. Sometimes an electronic locking feature or cylindrical lock makes more sense for the door’s use. Does the door swing in or swing out? Is it a double door, but only one is used? Does it meet code?
Goffstown Lock and Key will engineer and install the best panic bar hardware to suit their clients’ needs.