Door Hardware – Security Solutions Group

Door hardware is the physical components that secure the door in the frame. It allows the door to open, close and latch.

Door hardware components consists of the frame, hinges, closers, levers, mortise locksets, exit devices, vertical rod exit devices, electro mechanical, cylinders, keys, restricted systems, masterkeying and more. Below is a list of the main category of hardware and common problems they cause and how we can fix them for you.

Frame

The frame is the foundation of the opening. It connects to the building and the floor. The most important thing of the frame is being secured to the building and square.

When the building shifts, or if the frame is not installed squarely, the swinging doors may drag or rub on the frame or each other.

The most common solutions are adjusting the hardware or trimming the door. The last resort is resetting or installing a whole new frame and door.

Hinges

Hinges connect the door to the frame, they are the pieces that support the weight and allow the door to swing. The most common issue caused by hinges wearing out or going bad is the door sagging out of square and dragging on the bottom of the frame. This is most common in butt hinges.

The solutions are to tighten, adjust and replace the hinges. If the hinges and frames are frequently having problems the best solution is to upgrade to a full continuous hinge.

Closers

Closers are the devices typically in the upper top section of the door mounted on the inside of the opening that pull the door shut after it has been opened from the frame. Closers limit human behavior of forgetting to close the door when walking through.

Common problems with closers are the door is swinging too fast and slamming, or not swinging slow enough to latch the locking hardware each time.

The solution it to adjust the spring tension, backcheck, closing and latching speeds if the closer is still healthy. If the closer is leaking fluid, loosely mounted or has expired it is time for a new one.

Lever Sets

Leversets are the most common commercial locking hardware. They are found in practically every commercial building. Levers are used in commercial settings versus knobs to meet ADA requirements.

The most common issues with levers are latch and spring cassette failures (where the handle sags down). The other reason to upgrade them is to change functions. We stock the four most common functions: entry, storeroom, classroom and passage. We can also supply many more unique functions.

We supply Grade 1 heavy duty commercial and Tier 1 Branded Levers like Best 9k’s for governments and institutions which last decades and value line import series from Design Hardware for more affordable prices.

Mortise Locks

Mortise locks are heavy duty commercial integrated leversets & deadbolts with built in function change options. These are common in institutions, government, healthcare and education facilities because you can mix and match the trims and cassette bodies. This allows for more customization of design and functions. Also when they have a failure only the component that fails needs to be replaced unlike the whole lockset (like a leverset).

Common failures with mortise locks are spring cassettes, latches and cylinders. We can replace any and all of these components across multiple manufactures.

Exit Devices

Exit devices are heavy duty devices primarily used on exterior doors. They are also commonly known as panic bar, crash bar and push bar. They are required on any door whose occupancy space and pathway accommodates more then 50 people for life safety and fire egress codes. They have a longer life cycle usage rate then leversets and mortise locks. They are also more secure from break ins because the latches are on the inside of the door and frame versus on the edge.

Common problems with exit devices are end caps being knocked off from carts, the mounting bolt holes being stripped out and device is sagging, trim damage from vandalism or attempted break ins and strike alignments. These are all problems we can solve for you.

Vertical Rod Exit Devices

A vertical rod exit device is where there is a top and/or bottom rod going up and down the door locking into the top frame and bottom threshold. They can be surface mounted or concealed in the door.

Common problems with vertical rod exit devices are latch alignment, bent rods, and lack of closing speed to activate them.

Electro Mechanical Hardware & Strikes

Leversets, mortise locks & exit devices can come with electric latch retraction for an electrified version for access control systems.

We also provide and install electric strikes for leversets, mortise locks and exit devices for access control systems.

Common failures are the electrics, or solenoids failing.

Cylinders

Cylinders are where the key inserts into and rotates. The common cylinder types are key in knob, mortise, rim, small format interchangeable core (SFIC) and large format interchangeable core (LFIC). We stock these for all the common open keyways and provide restricted cylinders and keys too.

The more common issues with cylinders are broken tailpieces, worn pins and rekeying.

Keys

We provide thousands of types of keys. We have regular keys, keys with Do Not Duplicate stamped on them and restricted keys. We provide stamping and masterkeying coding on them.

For Do Not Duplicate keys, there are not laws actually stopping people form copying the keys, they are a psychological deterrent as most hardware stores will not duplicate them. If you want true key control see our next section on restricted key control.

The most common issues with keys is them being worn out. The simple solution is to decode and code cut new ones.

Restricted Key Control

If you want true key control protecting from employees or other users making copy of your facilities key you want a patented protected restricted keyway and cylinders. A restricted key system is where no one can get the physical keys or cylinders anywhere else besides where you got them from through a protected channel with the manufacturer.

Restricted key control systems can be restricted at different levels and types such as dealers, geography and end users.

We are dealers for all the major restricted keyway systems such as Medeco M4, Medeco X4, Best Cormax, Schlage Everest & Schlage Primus.

Rekeying & Masterkey Systems

When changing ownership or turning over employees, it is common to need a rekey. A simple rekey is where we cut new keys and change the inside of each lock so the old key no longer works and a new key does.

An advanced and more complex rekeying is called a master key system. A masterkey system is where we create a heirarchy and a X & Y chart for users and door groups. Where we design which users have access to what door groups. With the goal of desigining a system so each user only has one key to access where they need to but no more then that.

One Stop Shop

Security Solutions Group is a one stop shop for all of your door hardware and keying needs.