Author: owner

Door and Hardware Service|TDL Construction Inc.

Services

Post author By owner
Post date July 21, 2013

We are experts at assessing your door and hardware problems.

Options for letting us know what your problem is and how we can fix it for you are as follows

Call – We are available for phone consultations 6 days a week. Sunday through Friday 4 Pm all hours.

Email – we will respond asap during our phone hours and within 24 hours during following a Saturday email.

Photos – this is a great way to get us a look at the problem. It helps us help you .

On-site assessment – if we can not help you with a phone or email response we will find a tech in our database that can make an on-site visit to assess and repair your problem. We have a vast network of door and hardware service tech’s available for this service.

ted@tdlconstructioninc.com

cell phone 509-993-2827

fax no 509-922-1291

Tags Door service

Sliding Barn Doors

What you Should know About Sliding Barn Door Hardware

Post author By owner
Post date July 15, 2013

What You Should Know About Sliding Barn Door Hardware

If you have been looking for a fun and innovative way to dress up any doorway, then you may want to consider throwing away your old door and replacing it with a sliding barn door. These are becoming increasingly popular in both cities and rural settings alike and they have the added advantage of providing you with more room in any room while also adding a fair amount of style.

What Is A Sliding Barn Door?

If you grew up on a farm, then you might not appreciate the novelty of a sliding barn door, but for the rest of us, this is a pretty unique thing to have in your home. These doors tend to be made from wood although they can be made from other materials, and you will find some that are truly rustic and original while others are simply more affordable or more modern reproductions.

A sliding barn door requires its own kind of hardware because it moves on a different plane than a traditional door. In many ways, this is much like a pocket door that would hide in a wall except that this is obviously much more affordable to install and it can be put on just about any kind of doorway or opening.

What Is Sliding Barn Door Hardware?

This is all of the hardware that actually holds the door in place and allows it to slide freely from back and forth. As important as it is to find a high quality door that dresses up your doorway and your room, it is equally important to find the right sliding barn door hardware for your door. Not only should it match the overall design of your décor, but it needs to be sized appropriately for the type of door that you have.

There are numerous considerations that you will have to keep in mind when you are shopping for sliding barn door hardware, and these include the overall size and weight of the door, the length that it will need to slide in order to clear the doorway, and even the type of materials that it is made from.

What Kind of Sliding Barn Door Hardware Is There?

It might surprise you to find out that there are really many different types of hardware available for this purpose, and so when you have chosen your door, you will then need to measure it in make sure you know how much it weighs in order to choose the right sliding barn door hardware for your door.

Some of this hardware is very modern looking, with sleek design that can be an interesting contradiction to an old-style barn door. On the other hand, you may want to buy hardware that is more traditional and you can find them with large wooden wheels instead of steel wheels, which can make for a quieter opening and closing of the door.

It is obviously important to make sure you buy high-quality hardware because this will be holding up a fairly heavy piece of wood or some other kind of material that will continually be moved back and forth for a number of years. Therefore, it is worth investing in the highest quality and sturdiest hardware that you can find.

Where Can You Buy This Hardware?

If you are particularly handy in your workshop, then you may want to create this hardware from scratch, but more often than not people are now purchasing sliding barn door hardware online. There are now numerous kits that you can choose from that actually include everything from the steel bar on which the door slides to the rollers and all of the brackets.

When you buy any hardware kit, you will usually get a full set of instructions that will show you the proper way to hang your door so that it is as even as possible, which will help to prolong both the life of the door and the hardware itself.

Even though you can’t buy hardware such as this in some stores, you will generally find that it is a much better deal buying it online. Not only can you choose from a wide variety of options in terms of different types of metals, styles, and colors, but you should be able to find the type of hardware that is exactly right for your door.

Is This The Kind Of Door For You?

You will find sliding doors blocking off kitchens, closet, bathrooms, and throughout many homes and offices these days. This is a beautiful way to dress up any wall while also potentially recycling an old barn door. Whether you are choosing this kind of sliding door for aesthetic reasons or for functionality, you want to make sure that you have hardware that will support it.

School Safety

Local School Safety Programs

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013
1 Comment on Local School Safety Programs

Local School Safety Programs

What is my local school doing to provide a safe and secure environment for our children? This is something that all parents are wanting to know. They need to feel that the school district’s are making progress in putting a plan together and going forward with it.

US Homeland Security Administration has a program with funding and training available for every state that is willing to go through the hoops to get this money and follow the guidelines.

The program is called the FY 2013 Homeland Security Grant Program.

HSGP is comprised of three interconnected grant programs:

• State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)

• Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)

• Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)

Together, these grant programs fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration.

The funding for these programs is big, $968,389,689.00. It is a task though to get all the appropriate requests and paperwork filled out. Then follow all the guidelines so that you meet the requirements to get some of the funding to make upgrades to the buildings, and educate the appropriate people on how to train the students and staff in the correct responses to and attack. This all seems like a good idea, but it appears that it isn’t a program that can be implemented quickly.

Another government entity is National School Safety Center. there mission is the following

The National School Safety Center serves as an advocate for safe, secure and peaceful schools worldwide and as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence. NSSC provides school communities and their school safety partners with quality information, resources, consultation, and training services. The National School Safety Center identifies and promotes strategies, promising practices and programs that support safe schools for all students as part of the total academic mission.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

The National School Safety Center believes that schools have the choice to create and maintain safe schools or to return their institutions to safe, secure and effective places of learning. We believe that this work is best done with the help of school safety partners. We believe that today great opportunities exist to apply the best of school safety research and practices to the vision of safe schools for all students.

NSSC and SCHOOL CRIME PREVENTION

The National School Safety Center was established by Presidential mandate in 1984 by Ronald Reagan as a joint program between the United States Departments of Education and Justice. The Center now operates as an independent non-profit organization serving schools and communities worldwide providing training and technical assistance in the areas of safe school planning and school crime prevention. NSSC has been a long-time leader in conducting school site safety assessments. In addition, NSSC publishes a variety of publications and training videos that support safe and welcoming schools.

They have a site safety assessment service that is open to all K-12 schools in the US. They will assess your school and go over any areas that might be a potential areas that are overlooked and could be a non-secure area.

Key factors are examined that could impact the education of the students and safety of the staff, faculty and students.

Here is a list of some of the things they will look at:

Existing school safety plans

Crisis response and disaster mitigation plans

Anti-terrorist measures

The condition and safety of the facilities

The use of environmental design to prevent crime and disruption

School Safety policiies, practices and procedures

School discipline practices

Employee recruiting, selection, supervision and training practices

The presence of gangs, weapons, drug and alcohol abuse

The prevalence of bullying,hazing, hate-motivated behaviors

Social climate ( staff, students, and parents)

School /law enforcement partnerships

Emerging school safety trends, issues and concerns

This was established by a presidential mandate in 1984, this is a good program that should be taken advantage of by all schools.

Locally Spokane School District 81 has a lockdown procedure that is to be practiced once a year. It consists of an alarm being sounded and then everyone is supposed to clear the halls and stay in the classrooms or offices. Certain people are assigned to manually lock all non-electric locking doors. After halls are cleared all doors are to be locked and blinds closed and lights turned off. That is the extent of their procedures in the Safety Regulations and Procedures Lockdown manual.I was unable to find any other documents that had a step by step procedure in the event of an assault.

Central Valley SD does not appear to have a lockdown procedure in their documentation on their official website. They do have a Sheriff located inside each of the two high schools. I did find a small article about a lockdown due to a police search in the area of about 8 schools and the comments were thanks to the district for telling them what to do. I am assuming this must have been a phone call as there was no policy available to follow.

East Valley School District in the Spokane Valley has a very nice Emergency procedure plan on their website. It is listed below.

Emergency Procedures

Parent Procedures

If an emergency situation occurs, parents are asked to follow the procedures below to help with parent/student reunification and aid with traffic flow. We will work closely with the County Sheriff and other Emergency services to keep students and staff safe.

Lockdown (Intruder on campus or police order)

1. All school personnel have been trained in lockdown procedures. They will be doing their best to insure that all students are being held in a safe location on campus.

2. In a lockdown we will not be able to answer incoming calls or make outside phone calls. DO NOT CALL YOUR STUDENT’S CELL PHONE. Within minutes the police, who will secure the neighboring streets and the building perimeter, will assist us. Parents will not be allowed near the school in a lockdown.

3. Students will be kept inside locked classrooms with the blinds drawn. No one will be allowed to leave the classrooms/secure rooms on campus until the lockdown is lifted.

4. All students and faculty/staff will remain in the lockdown mode until the police department lifts the lockdown.

5. Parents may come to school to pick up their student(s) when the lockdown is lifted. Students who drive will be allowed to leave.

Restricted Access (Red alert, no specific threat)

1. Access to the building will be restricted, with all doors locked once students have entered in the morning. Parents wishing access will need to call, to wait to be met at the door, and provide identification.

2. Students will not be allowed outside for recess.

3. Inside doors will remain open.

4. All personnel/visitors will be required to wear identification.

Evacuation (Fire, bomb threat, and/or police order)

1. If we will be evacuated for longer than 30 minutes, students will be walked/bussed to the off site location. The parent/student reunification teams will assist parents and students.

2. To pick up your student during the Parent Student Reunification process, give your name to a reunification team member along with identification and a student/staff runner will bring your student to you.

3. While you are waiting for the student/staff runner you will be asked to sign a parent release form. The Reunification Team member will have that form for you to sign.

Natural Disaster (Earthquake)

1. All school personnel have been trained in procedures for a natural disaster. The have assigned roles and will be doing their best to safely care for your students.
Assume that the school phones lines and cell phone lines will either not be working or will be busy.

2. Please give school authorities at least one hour to evacuate the classrooms, conduct building searches, and account for all people before calling the school.
During Parent Student reunification, give your name to a reunification team member along with identification and a student/staff runner will bring your student to you.

3. While you are waiting for the student/staff runner you will be asked to sign a parent release form. The Reunification Team member will have that form for you to sign.

This is what i would like to see each school and district have as a plan for emergency situations.

West Valley School District in Spokane Valley also has an emergency and evacuation plan. Their plan is more about where your child will be staged in the event of an evacuation and the procedures to follow. It looks like each parent or guardian must sign this for your child to be allowed to go to school. It is a good plan, but does very little in the event of an assault on the schools

Cheney School District has no emergency policy available to review.

Medical Lake School District has the SafeSchools alert Program in place and a very good Emergency preparedness plan. It outlines all the proper procedures and what is going to happen. It is very good. You can go to their website and read it under the subheading emergency preparedness and recommend it to your school or district.

I will be making additional post with recommendations and responses from the school districts as they become available.

School Safety

School Safety: Is my Child Safe At School

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013

Is my child’s school implementing new locks or safety measures to prevent an attack on them.

School Safety: Is My Child Safe at School?

These days the nightly news is sadly filled with tragic stories about children who are hurt, or even die, while they are at school. If you are a parent you have probably asked yourself many times “Is my child safe at school?”

I have worked on many school over the last 20 years, so I have a unique view of school safety. First off, I might mention that statistics show your child is more than ten times safer riding the school bus to school than he is driving with his own parents! Our busses are inspected regularly and our drivers are continually drug screened and skill-tested. Safety is very important!

I know for a fact that in our school district the superintendent worries continuously about school safety. Most school districts have imposed strict rules about keeping all exterior school doors locked during the day. Students are not allowed to open outside doors to let visitors in — all visitors must be screened by the school office.

Our schools, like others around the country, hold regular safety drills with the students. Some of these drills are for weather related emergencies, such as tornadoes and earthquakes. Our district is very strict about exactly where the children go when a tornado siren goes off.

Other emergency drills are to practice what the students do if an intruder enters the school. It is sad these drills are necessary and it would be nice to be able to shield our young children from learning about the school tragedies that have taken place around the country. But kids do see the news. Talking about what to do in an emergency seems to help the youngsters. Many youngsters getting on the bus tell me about what they are supposed to do if an intruder should come into their school; it seems to make them more secure.

When asking yourself if your child is safe at school you may wonder if he is safe from other students.

My school district, like any other, takes any report of a student carrying a weapon very seriously. I recently had a 2nd grade girl tell me that one of my 3rd grade boys had a knife on the bus. I had to radio in a code message to our dispatcher and a principal met the bus at the first available stop. The principal found a fairly innocent pocket knife that the student’s grandfather had given him — he wanted to show it off. Needless to say he was not allowed to have it in school and his parents had to come in for a conference. You can see how seriously the school district considered this violation.

Another most school districts insists upon is a “no bullying” policy. Reports of bullying are taken very seriously. Parents are involved and oftentimes habitual bullies will be suspended, sent to a special school, or even expelled.

If you are asking yourself whether your child is safe at school, the answer is troubling. Is your child safe anywhere? Certainly responsible school districts around the country are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of every student in their care. And in view of recent school tragedies, more time, resources and school funds are being spent on school safety.

Related Posts

Fiberglass Entry Doors

Fiberglass Entry Door Options

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013
1 Comment on Fiberglass Entry Door Options

Fiberglass Entry Door options

Options For Entry Doors

When you are choosing an entry door for your home or commercial business building, it is important to make sure that you are making the right decision. You should be very well informed on the many various options that are available to you, because your entry door will have a huge impact on your life. It effects how safe you can feel within your own home or building, the security of your belongings held within the building, the value of your building, and the confidence you can feel about the overall appearance of the building. You may be very surprised by how many different positive effects having the right fiberglass entry door can have on your business or your home, and your life in general.

Types of Fiberglass Entry Doors Available to You:

-Home Entry Doors
-Commercial Building Entry Doors
-Long Lasting Doors
-Easy Maintenance Doors
-Durable Entry Doors

Each of these doors provide different options for you, and are designed to perfectly match your every need and desire that you have for your entry door. Here you will be provided with some basic information about each of the different types of fiberglass entry doors in order for you to be well informed and make the right choice on a door for your home or building for your business. It’s an important decision to make, and you should be confident with your final selection.

Home Entry Doors:

Home entry doors are specifically designed to help make your home more beautiful and keep you and your family safe inside your house. Doors are the first thing that people see when they approach your house, and having a proper door will be far more impressive. In addition, many of these doors are strong and protective, preventing people from breaking into your home.

Commercial Building Entry Doors:

If you own a building for a business or any other purpose, you are sure to be impressed by the wide variety of commercial building entry doors that are available for you to purchase. They are easy to install, affordable for your company, and come in a huge selection of different styles and designs that will go well with any building or taste. Your commercial building will be looking great with any door that you choose.

Long Lasting Doors:

Many people are concerned with how long fiberglass entry doors last under different conditions, and whether it is worth the investment money in them. The simplest and truest answer to this question is that, yes, it is worth it. Different entry doors are specifically designed to last for a long period of time, in addition to the many other benefits that there are to owning an entry door.

Easy Maintenance Doors:

Who has the time to be keeping up with everything a building needs, especially when it comes to taking care of your building? No one really does; that’s why many entry doors have been made far easier to take care of. With fiberglass doors, you won’t have to do much in the way of maintenance to keep your door looking great and working to its full potential. It’s an investment well worth making.

Durable Entry Doors:

Durable entry doors are designed specifically for people who need a door that they won’t have to replace in 2 or 3 years. If you have people carrying heavy loads through your doors every day, or live in an area where accidents are prone to happening (such as: in an area that gets frequent tornadoes and strong winds that are likely to blow things around, into your building; or near a golf course), then you are in need of an fiberglass commercial building entry . These will protect your building, and you won’t have to worry about paying to replace your entry door every time something happens.

Your choice of entry door is highly important to your building, your safety, the safety of your possessions inside your building, and the overall property value. Making the right choice in making an investment on fiberglass entry doors is sure to pay off quickly, and you will be thankful that you took the time to consider it. There are many different kinds of entry doors available to you, and fiberglass entry doors will fill all of your entry door needs.

Uncategorized

Keypad Electronic Locks

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013

Keypad Electronic Locks

Homes and businesses will find the electronic keypad locks to be more efficient and less expensive. For the homeowner, keypad locks are great for those who have a habit of losing their keys, or for kids who do not like carrying around a key. Businesses will save money with keypad locks, because as their employees change, they do not have to have locks re-keyed or new keys made.

Benefits of Electronic Keypad Locks

Keypad locks are easy to use and provide safety for the businesses or home. Locks are unlocked by using an electronic keypad and the use of a code for entrance. The conveniences of keyless locks to businesses and homeowners is not having to carry keys around, or worrying about them getting lost.

With traditional locks, if a key is lost, a locksmith would need to be called in order to gain access and have more keys made. Many homeowners will hide a key in a flowerpot or above the door, but this would also allow access to thieves once they find the key. Keyless locks allow owners to share the code with those who have the authority to be in your building or home. Keypad door locks are ideal for businesses with a large number of employees.

There are no cylinders in an electronic lock to be picked or broken, for a thief to gain access inside. This feature provides better security for homes and businesses. The locks do not need any special tools in order for the codes to be changed. The codes can be changed whenever it is necessary and the security of the home or business is always protected.

Electronic Keypad Lock Options

Computers can change the access code for electronic keypad locks. This gives business owners the advantage of easily maintaining who has access at all times into their building. Homeowners can change their access code even when they are away from the home. Keypad locks can also be used on WIFI equipment to give extra security for the technology system in the home.

Vacationing homeowners may want the extra security of changing their code while they are gone. They can then reprogram the keypad back to their original code when they return. The flexibility of being able to change the code is great for homeowners who have work being done in their homes.

The workers can be given a code for the days they need to gain entrance into the home and then the code can be changed back once they are done. This way the homeowner can schedule technicians for repair jobs without having to give them a key to their home. The security of the home is not compromised when using a keypad lock.

Electronic locks can also come with a card reader so employees can be tracked as to when they come or leave and in which part of the building they are in at any given time. As an employee is terminated, then his or her number is taken out of the memory of the lock. This save companies from always having to reissue keys to their employee’s.

Other Convenient Features of Keypad Locks:

Doors can lock automatically once a person leaves or comes into the home
keypad locks are great for storage rooms or offices
children can not open the door without the password
no programming is needed after the password has been established
installation is easy and maintenance is minimal

Electronic locks also come in an assortment of finishes that will compliment the exterior or interior of your home or business. Electronic locks can be used on front or back doors, garages, secured on pool entrances or anywhere security is needed.

Fiberglass Entry Doors

Fiberglass vs Metal or Wood Doors

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013

Fiberglass Entry Doors

Purchasing a door made from fiberglass gives you several more options in design and overall selection. Fiberglass entry doors are LEED compliant and paintable so they are safe and environmentally friendly. Whether choosing commercial fiberglass doors for a business or fiberglass home doors for added value to a residence, there are several advantages to selecting this type over the standard wood or steel door materials.

While it can be confusing when it comes to finding the right match for an entry door, knowing the facts can help simplify the process.

Commercial fiberglass doors

Protecting a business is more than just installing a high-tech security system, it also means making sure it is difficult for unwanted visitors to easily enter into the business through the doorways. Steel doors often come to mind as a way to keep predators out, while they can be durable, they have some disadvantages including:

• Steel made doors can be easily dented

• Subject to paint chips and scratches

• Rust formation on damaged areas

• Temperature sensitive and easily retain outdoor heat or cold

A steel door can become easily scarred, unlike a fiberglass door. It is very difficult to dent or punchture holes in a fiberglass door. Their longevity is based on holding the unit together as one piece and resisting rust and warped textures in the finish. Fiberglass doors are very resistant to rust and will only rust if they have hardware attached that is not rust proof.

It is easy to paint and finish the many styles of fiberglass doors to match the color of the exterior. Safety is not an issue with a fiberglass door because of the resistance to dents. This makes them a reasonable choice for any commercial business that wants to protect the building.

Fiberglass home doors

To add long lasting beauty to a home, a fiberglass home door is a good choice. The durability of fiberglass doors over wood doors is that they won’t warp and fade like wood. They don’t need any special type of polyurethane to protect the interior or exterior finish and are easy to stain or paint.

Most consumers choose fiberglass because of the ease of care. Other than keeping the door clean and free of caked-on debris, the fiberglass door needs little to no maintenance. Most doors come with a 30 year or longer guarantee to not buckle or warp; once they are installed they are in to stay.

Fiberglass as a green option over wood

Because green energy is so important, finding ways to help the environment as well as purchase more eco-friendly products for the home is essential to a sustainable lifestyle. Fiberglass home doors are very energy efficient and help to keep the hot or cold air out and the warm air in. They have a high insulating factor and are perfect for cold weather environments.

Other than their strength, durability, thermal efficiency and longevity, fiberglass doors are often made from recycled fiberglass particles. They are also LEED compliant and used as an energy efficient option in many new homes and building construction projects. LEED compliant energy sources are becoming not only options as we move into the future but requirements for many new construction applications.

Choosing the fiberglass option over wood or steel will benefit a building with immediate results. Forming a barrier from the outside to the inside, heating and cooling systems become twice as efficient, energy bills are curbed and the appearance of the home or building has been improved. Fiberglass entry doors embody elegance and style that can be matched by any other type of material, now and several years to come.

Keypad Locks

Locks Keyed or Keyless

Post author By owner
Post date July 14, 2013

Locks -Keyless or keyed

When it is time to replace an entry lockset you have many choices.

Keyed lever locks, keyed knob locks, keypad locks that require you to have a code, card swipe locks and proximity reader locks. Keyed lever locksets are the most common and are available at most hardware stores including the big box guys. They are unlocked and relocked using a key.

Keyless locks have either a keypad or a proximity reader or a card swipe reader. All quality keyless locks will have a key override option available if you loose the card, proximity card or fob, or can’t remember the code for the keypad model. Keyless entry locks can save the information of who enters and when up to a few thousand if necessary. This is especially good if you are running a business and need to know who is coming in early or late and after normal business hours. It also can keep track of when someone tries to enter with the wrong code or an card that has been taken out of the system

Keypad Lock

Door Repair and Maintenance|TDL Construction Inc.

Maintaining Your Doors

Maintaining your Doors – door closers, hinge adjustments

In the following weeks we will be going over the major issues that come up when doors are not maintained properly.

One of the most irritating and possibly harmful thing about a door is when it closes too fast and bangs or knocks you thru the entryway. This is because the door closer is either incorrectly adjusted or it has worn out and needs to be replaced. The first and most obvious thing to look for when checking, is if there is fluid running down from around the closer cover or body. This is an sign it is time to replace your closer immediately. If no fluid is showing then it is probably in need of an adjustment.This can be easily done with the proper tools and instructions.

Here are some of the more common door closers and their instruction sheets.

LCN 4011 is a regular arm which is located on the pull side of a door with the body mounted on the door. This closer is handed so if you are replacing it make sure you know what hand to order.

http://www.tdl-construction.com/5jf2

LCN 4111 is the parallel arm version of the 4011 and is mounted on the push side of the door. This model is also a handed closer

http://www.lcnclosers.com/pdfs/28479rK.pdf

Norton 7500 model is a closer that has 3 options, parallel arm, regular arm, and top jamb mount. see page 6 for the adjustment instructions.

http://tinyurl.com/Norton-7500-7700

Norton 1600 is commonly used on aluminum storefront doors.

http://tinyurl.com/Norton-1601bc 1

These are two of the major closer manufacturers and we will discuss some of the others in another post.

When you are adjusting the closer be sure that you know which valve controls which part of the swing/travel of the door. It is very important not to back the valve out to far as all the fluid will come gushing out very rapidly and go all over the door, floor and you. This fluid is extremely hard to clean up.

Our next problem that we will address is the rubbing door. This is usually caused by hinge screws working loose and allowing the door to sag and as it closes it will hit the frame and bounce into the latch position if there is enough force from either a push or the closer pulling the door shut. If tightening the hinge screws doesn’t fix the problem then it is time to shim the hinges to pull the door away from the lock side of the frame. This can be done by using the cardboard shim packs that come with the hinges or what we like to use is small strips of the self adhesive 12 square flooring material that is available at Lowe’s and Home Depot.

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