The team at John Planck often field questions about the right way to specify architectural door hardware, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to summarize certain aspects of architectural ironmongery specification that need consideration, in conjunction with the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers’ Guide to Architectural Ironmongery.

The Main Considerations When Specifying Door Hardware

This may sound obvious, but the type of door hardware you’ll require depends on the type of building you’re working with, the people in it, and the frequency it will be used. Will people with mobility and strength issues need easy access to your spaces? Are you working with fire doors, self-locking, self-latching, or automatic doors? Will these be in a high traffic area? You should take all of these factors into account before you start to think about aesthetics.

Risks to Avoid

Time is of the essence when taking on any architectural project, and this includes making sure you have enough time to specify, procure, install and test architectural hardware. Working with an experienced architectural ironmonger will help cut down on time delays. Similarly, if you have constant specification changes to your design, this will delay the procurement process. Failing inspections are also a common cause of delays, so you need to make sure that you have your safety and security issues sorted ahead of time.

Finding an Architectural Ironmonger

Most architects find ironmongers based on personal recommendations from colleagues, but it’s always a good idea to qualify those recommendations. The best way to do this is to check to make sure you are employing a Registered Architectural Ironmonger. A Registered Architectural Hardware Specialist will have the abbreviation RegAI after their name as some of our team members

Working Efficiently with Your Ironmonger

Again, any architectural endeavor is always a race against time. Consider your door hardware and details early on. While this might seem like a last-minute type of task, it’s not. Give your ironmonger a floorplan and door schedule as soon as you can, and make sure you connect them with any other relevant parties, such as providers of automatic locking and access providers, so they don’t double their efforts.

John Planck Ltd is one of only a handful of companies that are “GuildMark” members of the GAI.  Individually, our staff train through the GAI’s education scheme, ultimately gaining a “DipGAI” qualification upon completion of the programme. Our team of experts is fully qualified in providing solutions for all projects from modern, through traditional, heritage and also any bespoke project requirements. Additionally, we use the most advanced scheduling system in the industry giving you an ‘at a glance’ schedule in an easy to use format.

Hopefully, this gives a basic insight into the specification process, we’re here to take the stresses away so please make contact with us and put us to the test.