Why Does a Fire Door Latch Stick?

Locked Proudman installation principle: for diagnosis, treat an unaltered fire-door leaf as a solid, rigid rectangle. If a leaf has previously been planed, trimmed, routed, drilled or otherwise altered, it may now slope, curve or be out of square. Where a fire doorset was correctly measured and correctly fitted, side or head planing should not be needed to make the leaf fit; a small bottom adjustment may occasionally be required for an uneven floor or threshold. Always diagnose the complete doorset before altering one component. The symptom The handle may feel stiff, the latch may stay partially retracted, or the door may close but then resist opening. A latch can also appear to work normally with the door open and stick once the leaf is shut. Separate latch mechanism from latch/frame interaction Test the latch with the door open. This…