Sharon Locksmith Services · Newmarket
Panic & Exit Hardware: before you call
Locksmith · Newmarket, Ontario
The new access-control reader at the staff entrance works fine going in, but nobody has sorted out the door's exit side, and right now a card reader and a pushbar exist as two separate ideas.
Worth answering before the call
Is the existing hardware still working, or does it need replacing outright? Which doors are involved, and are any of them fire-rated? Has a fire inspector or building official already flagged a specific door?
How much force does the door need to open with?
Hardware standards set a maximum, not a target: an exit device is built to release the latch under a firm push, no more than about 15 pounds of force applied at the touchpad or crossbar, roughly the pressure of a light shove rather than a heave. That ceiling covers people who cannot lean hard into a door, so the swing stays open to anyone moving toward it under pressure.
Can I still lock the door from outside?
Yes. The releasing device only governs the inside of the door; the outside gets its own trim, a pull, a lever with a cylinder, or a keyed cylinder alone, chosen for how that door is entered. Locking or unlocking that outside trim has no effect on the inside crossbar, which always releases the latch under a push, so entry security and exit function are handled as two separate questions.