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July 2020

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The Luminous collection from Creative Door Services. Traka cabinet from Trillium Architectural Products. 34 | J U LY 2 0 2 0 Doors view glass doors and wood-look garage doors are very popular in the residential market as well as vertical placement windows," says Lana Winterfield, Creative Door Services' regional manager of marketing and communications for Canada. The Luminous collec- tion shows that garage doors have come a long way and have the potential to be a modern showpiece for a home: glass is mounted onto an aluminum platform to create a frameless, floating look that turns heads. TODAY'S TECH Another growing expectation from clients is home automation and smart home technology. The Marvin Lock Status Sensor integrates seamlessly with almost any home security system to let homeowners know if their doors are open or closed, locked or unlocked – and since the Lock Status Sensor is completely con- cealed, homeowners get peace of mind along with their preferred design style. "One of the biggest trends over the past decade has been the increase in electrified hardware and the shift from keys to card access," notes Todd Farrell, director of communications for Trillium Architectural Products. "But the industry hasn't done away with mechanical keys and probably never will." Farrell notes that the keys that remain in a facility are typically the most important, like main- tenance or building master keys – and since these keys are so critical to a building's security, demand has increased for electronic key cabinets like the Traka cabinets. SAFET Y FIRST Fire and life safety are of particular concern for high-rise towers: fire-rated doors help contain the spread of fire, while temperature rise-rated doors ensure paths of egress, like stairwells and corridors, remain cool enough for occupants to escape. "This is resulting in an increased demand for door and hardware consulting services to ensure buildings strike the right balance between function, esthetics, life safety, and security," says Farrell. But of course, safety doesn't end at installation: after the design and construction stages, fire-rated doors need to be properly maintained. "Building owners and property managers are realizing the importance of scheduling annual inspections by Certified Fire + Egress Door Assembly Inspectors," says Farrell. "These checks ensure critical safety doors are working correctly and are free of modi- fications or obstructions that would affect their performance." In the fire-rated space, says Fred D. Fulton of F1 Glazing Solutions, it's been almost a complete turn away from wired glass, which has been conclu- sively ruled as being dangerous in impact-safety openings. Rated glass brands such as Keralite or Contraflam are the future. Contraflam, for one, is a multi-chambered fire-resistant glass that deters radiant heat. "Visually, Contraflam is very superior, featuring truly clear glass, and without any question marks about impact safety," says Fulton. Aluflam is the only manufacturer of aluminum fire-rated doors. Other companies offer powder- coated steel, but aluminum remains the architect's choice; it's used just about everywhere else on the project. If this is all what's possible today, imagine what's coming tomorrow. As the industry continues to evolve, expect even bigger, better options on our doorsteps soon. A

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