Panic bars and door closers in Vancouver
Installation and repair, for the exit door the fire inspector checks first.
A panic bar, push bar or touch bar lets anyone out with one push while your door stays locked to the street. A closer shuts and latches it. We supply, fit, adjust and repair both.
Push to leave. Panic bars and exit devices for BC Building Code exit doors.
Does your fire exit or other egress door need panic hardware? That depends on how you use the space and how many people it holds. Inside Vancouver city limits, the Vancouver Building By-law sets the rules.
Rim panic bars for single exit doors
The most common exit device: the bar spans the door and a latch on its edge catches a strike on the frame. Doors prepped for a mortise lock can take a mortise device instead.
Vertical rod exit devices for double doors
A pair of doors with no centre post latches at the top and bottom. Rods run on the face of the door or inside it. Bottom rods wear first, from carts and grit.
Exit devices listed for fire door hardware
A rated fire door needs an exit device listed for fire doors. These have no mechanical dogging, because a fire door has to close and latch by itself. We keep to your door's listing.
Alarmed panic bars for back doors and delivery entrances
An exit alarm sounds when someone pushes the bar, so your back door stops being a quiet shortcut. A key switch lets staff silence it for deliveries.
A door closer that slams, drifts or leaks is a repair, not a personality.
If you can see an overhead box and arm, your door has a surface closer; concealed ones hide in the frame. We fit both, from light interior doors to heavy storefronts.
Adjusting door closer sweep, latch and backcheck speed
Separate valves on your closer set the main swing, the last few inches of latching and the backcheck cushion when the door is thrown open. We adjust in small turns, delayed action included where fitted.
Replacing a leaking or slamming door closer
Oil under your closer or streaks down its body mean the seals have gone. Once the fluid is lost, no valve can control the door. We size the replacement to the door's weight and traffic.
Self-closing door closers on fire doors
Your fire doors, including doors into exit stairs, have to close and latch on their own. The closer needs the power to latch against seals and air pressure. A wedge under it defeats the point.
How a panic bar installation in Vancouver gets quoted.
The $75 mobile service call is never the whole bill; hardware and labour are quoted on top. A commercial walk-through costs you nothing and turns a range into a number.
Starting figures are on the price guide.
See starting pricesRim versus vertical rod exit device
A rim device on a single door is the simplest fit. If you have a pair, vertical rods add latches and fitting time, and concealed rods take longest.
Fire door versus standard panic bar hardware
A fire-rated device costs more than a standard one, and fewer models suit the door's label. If your door is rated, like-for-like replacement is usually simplest.
Adding outside trim or a key cylinder to the panic bar
Without trim, your door shows a blank face outside. A pull, lever or key cylinder adds parts, and the cylinder can be keyed into your master key system.
Door closer replacement bundled with the panic bar job
A slamming closer can bounce a new panic bar off its strike, and a weak one can leave it short. Doing both in one visit saves you a second service call.
What facilities staff ask about panic bars and door closers.
Can a panic bar be fitted to a narrow-stile aluminum door?
Usually, with a narrow-stile exit device made for that door. The stile width and your existing lock cutouts decide which device fits, so we measure before quoting. More on those doors under storefront locks.
Why does our exit door slam even after the door closer was adjusted?
Usually your closer is leaking, too small for the door, or fighting wind and building air pressure. Turning a valve cannot fix those. The closer, its arm or its power setting has to change.
Does a fire door need a different exit device than a regular door?
Yes. It needs a device listed for fire doors, with no mechanical dogging to hold the latch back. A standard panic bar on a rated door can fail an inspection, however well it works.
Can the panic bar be locked from outside while still opening from inside?
Yes. Outside, it stays locked unless dogged. Trim with a key cylinder lets your keyholders in, or electric latch retraction ties it to fobs or a buzzer through access control. Inside, one push opens it.
Can a door closer be repaired or does it have to be replaced?
Adjustment, loose brackets and stripped screws are repairs, and a bent arm is usually a part swap. A body leaking oil is normally replaced, because the fluid is what controls your door.
Panic bar installation by a licensed locksmith, kept to the fire door's rating.
If your door is fire-rated, its exit device and closer are part of the fire assembly. We fit hardware that suits the door's label and keep to what its listing allows.
We check your door, frame, swing and fire rating first, then write down the device, closer and grade. You agree that specification before any work begins.
Adjusting and repairing come before replacing, wherever the hardware allows. If a device is finished, you hear why and what the replacement costs before it comes off the door.
After fitting, we set the closer and cycle the door until it closes, latches and opens with one push. Your locksmith is BC-licensed and shows identification on site.
We work anywhere in the Lower Mainland, from Downtown and Yaletown to Burnaby and the North Shore. The 929 Drake Street shop opens soon; every job is mobile until then.
Signs your panic bar or door closer needs a visit.
If an inspection flagged your door, tell us what the report says when you call.
Exit device latch not catching the strike
Your door closes but the latch rides past the strike or bounces back out. Usually it is the closer speed, a sagging door or a worn strike. At closing, that is an unlocked exit door.
Panic bar push pad sticking or dogging not releasing
A push pad that returns slowly, needs two hands, or stays dogged down after you turn the key back. Worn springs and dogging parts are usually a repair, not a new device.
Door closer arm bent or leaking fluid
Oil on the floor, a door that swings wide into the wall, or an arm bent by wind or forced entry. After a break-in, see break-in repair.
Tell us what is going on, and we will price it first.
Tell us which door and what it is doing. You get the method and the number before any work begins. Evenings, weekends and holidays are by appointment.