Hollow Metal Steel Doors

As many folks know, Vertical-Rod Panic Devices are locks that allow double-entry doors to lock and to open independently of each other by means of locking at the top and the bottom each door.

As many folks who have held maintenance positions in a commercial building likely know, the “vertical-rod” versions of these locking mechanisms are more than a little temperamental and easily misaligned or jarred out of adjustment.

So it rarely pays to use the economy models or the economy brands of panic devices, even though the bid amount might look good when comparing bids. Thus the old axiom, “a penny-wise and a dollar-foolish.”

This is another, different set of double-entry steel doors that we replaced for a different client. This is the before shot. Please note that these double-entry doors do not use vertical-rod panic devices. These are NON-vertical-rod panic devices. If you look closely at the photo, you can see what is called “a vertical-mull-post” at the center of the opening. This is a steel post into which the panic devices latch, instead of latching at the top & bottom of the opening.

The after shot. Sometimes the post is removable, allowing for big items to be brought through the door opening. And sometimes the posts are non-removable. You can order the steel-jamb assembly to be made with a third jamb-leg that runs down between the doors, which serves as a permanent mull-post, common in schools. Either way, removable or not, this type of locking hardware configuration with a mull-post, is much less problematic, more durable and dependable.