Nearly every business owner wants the back door locked against the alley and open for the staff. Done wrong, that produces a chained exit — and a citation, or worse. Here is how to have both.
The one rule to remember
Any door on an exit path must open from the inside with a single motion, with no key, tool or special knowledge, whenever the building is occupied. Panic hardware (a push bar) is required on most assembly and high-occupancy spaces; on smaller occupancies a lever that retracts the latch in one motion may be enough. A deadbolt that needs a key or a thumbturn plus a lever is two motions — that is the usual failure. Your local fire authority and the current building code have the final say; we install to what they require.
Secure from outside, free from inside
- Exit-only panic bar: no outside trim at all — nobody gets in, everybody gets out
- Panic bar with key cylinder trim: staff key in, always free out
- Alarmed panic bar: sounds when pushed, discourages the staff shortcut to the dumpster
- Delayed egress (where permitted): 15-second delay on exit, releases on fire alarm
What we see on Sprague, Division and Monroe
Padlocked hasps on the inside of exit doors; slide bolts added "just at night"; panic bars with dogging left engaged so the door never latches; and rim cylinders on the outside that anybody can pick because the bar was never meant to be entered through. All of it is fixable in a visit.
Maintenance nobody does
Push bars need the latch and strike aligned and the closer adjusted; a door that drags on a warped frame stops latching and the "secure" exit stands open all night. Once a year, have someone push every bar, watch it latch, and check the closer. We do this as part of any commercial visit.
Hardware types, briefly
- Rim exit device: surface-mounted, latches into a strike on the frame — most storefront back doors
- Vertical rod device: latches top and bottom — double doors with no centre post
- Mortise exit device: heavy-duty, latch in the door edge — high-traffic and fire-rated openings
- Crossbar vs touchpad: touchpads are ADA-friendlier and less prone to being tied back
Questions from owners
The inspector said "dogging" — what is that?
A key or hex tool that holds the latch retracted so the door is push-pull during business hours. Fine while open; the failure is forgetting to undog at close, which leaves the door unlatched all night.
Can I alarm the door without a full alarm system?
Yes — battery-powered alarmed exit devices sound locally when pushed and reset with a key. Popular with restaurants for the dumpster-run problem.
Fire-rated door: any special rules?
The device must be fire-rated and cannot have mechanical dogging; the door must self-close and latch every time. We check the label before quoting.
Where we fit them
Restaurants and bars on Sprague, Division, Monroe and downtown, retail in the Valley, gyms, churches and schools across the county.
