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TIL my old way of checking door force was way off
Used to just push with my hand, felt fine. Got a call for a failed inspection in Cincinnati, they used a gauge. Mine read 18 pounds, theirs said 30. Bought a digital force gauge, cost about $120. Now I test every door, every time. Anyone else get burned by the hand test method?
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lucashart13d ago
Jamie, you said your crew does hundreds of doors. How many of those are on commercial jobs where the ADA code is actually enforced? If you're doing a public school or a doctor's office, that five pound rule is the law, not a suggestion. What happens when your "good enough" door fails a city inspection and the contractor has to pay for a callback and a new gauge test?
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jamie_white16d ago
That gauge is just creating problems where none exist. A door that feels right to the hand has worked fine for decades. My crew has never failed an inspection using the push test, and we do hundreds of doors. Spending all that time and money on a digital tool for a few pounds of difference is overkill. The old way is good enough.
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paige8616d ago
The ADA code changed in 2010 to require a maximum of five pounds of opening force. That's a specific number the "push test" can't measure accurately. Relying on feel leaves you open to liability if someone with a disability can't open the door you installed.
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