The Monday Minute
Door Hardware Specification Tips
for better designers and builders.
One minute a week to help you make better choices.
021 : Drop Everything!
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The best performing basic drop seals.
You're probably not dropping "automatic door bottoms" into your everyday conversation.
But, there's still a lot to be said about these underdogs of the high-performance door opening. If you're looking for sound attenuation, light isolation, and, exceptional energy savings, this is how you do it. Cat Control is also possible but will be covered in a future Monday Minute.
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The SchallEx® line of drop seals from german manufacturer, Athmer, is their best-selling and most versatile offering. Below are four basic solutions that every architect or builder should know.
Call or email to chat about any of them.
sales@betterbuildinghardware.com
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SOLUTION 1 : SchallEx® L-15/30 WS
It's the Tom Hanks of drop seals.
You can put him in any role and know that the performance will be just right. Like all of the SchallEx® models, the standard SchallEx® L-15/30 WS delivers :
- Up to 52db sound reduction!
- Parallel deployment along the entire width of the door. No Dragging of grit.
- High quality silicone gasket that is trimmable on site (oh, and self-extinguishing)
- Easily adjustable without any tools.
- Removable actuator for disengagement to survive the dirty chaos of a construction site.
- Maximum Deployment : 3/4"
- UL-Listed
This basic SchallEx model is so far out front of the run-of-the-mill drop seals we're all used to that we want to give everyone a chance to try them. We're offering a free sample with your next TECTUS order. Just call and talk to your account manager to get the details.
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A quick primer about what drop seals can do for your door and your building's performance.
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IMPORTANT INSTALLATION TIP : One of the best things about the Athmer drop seals is that they're easy to adjust, with no tools required. Just remove the actuator and adjust the travel of the seal so that it just touches the floor or threshold. For best performance, you should be able to pass a sheet of paper underneath the door (left hand diagram above). Smooshing the silicone down hard (right hand diagram above) is not going to provide a better seal and over time will deteriorate performance.
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SOLUTION 2 : SchallEx® L-15/30 Pivot
Kind of like the baby Panda at the zoo.
It's a head-turner, that's for sure.
We've been selling a boat load of these amazing FritsJurgens pivot hinges for all sorts of exterior pivot doors. Until recently, the idea of a high-performance solution for these doors didn't really exist.
The Athmer SchallEx Pivot features an adjustable spring-loaded roller actuator that allows for a smooth transfer of the lateral forces from the door coming into the frame.
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BTW :
Some might see this animation and ask, as many have :
Hey, can I really offset the FritsJurgens System M+ in the thickness of the door?
Yes. No problem! To get the Athmer in there alongside the FritsJurgen, we recommend a minimum 2-3/4" thick door plus using the FritsJurgens flush floor plate. We're suggesting a thicker door than the 2-1/4" absolute minimum. Call us if you're curious about why. +1-888-636-1627
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ANOTHER IMPORTANT INSTALL TIP : Another issue we see is the initial tuning of the roller actuator on the SchallEx Pivot Drop Seal. It's easy to adjust, but this adjustment should happen before the door is ready for its maiden voyage to the jamb. You want to balance between how far the roller sits out of the seal and its final actuated position in order to get the best performance out of the seal and protect it from damage. Click here to see Brian show you how it's done.
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SOLUTION 3 : SchallEx® 14/35 EK
A clean face for fantastic functionality
Until now, drop seals in our market have been mainly something that the commercial hardware dealer specs and provides for their projects. The usual commodity brands tend to arrive on site and the expectation for refinement is low.
For some designers and their clients, the idea of all that "whatever-that-is" sticking out of the edge of their beautiful residential door can make it hard to sell all the other benefits of using a drop seal. By the way, to others (e.g. german engineers) "whatever-that-is" is just glorious silicone gasketing that is fighting the forces of Evil.
Well, Athmer has something to soothe the eye of the aesthete while still delivering great performance.
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The EK version of the SchallEx was developed for the UK market where propriety is perhaps as tuned up as it is here. The nice clean faceplate keeps things tidy on the edge while still delivering, if not the full sound/air/light blockage, a high and healthy dose of all those. What you lose is whatever sound, etc. was being blocked at the jambs by the extending silicone.
We've seen this model become a great option for high-end residential interiors.
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TOTAL HARDWARE NERDS ONLY :
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The pandemic made acoustic isolation a real concern for anyone holding meetings in their BedroomSlashOffice.
While the other SchallEx models require you to prep the door for the seal prior to hanging it, the FS series allows you get the benefits of a great drop seal on any door even after it's hung. For some, this is not the ideal look, but with the SchallEx FS model, for retrofit situations, Athmer provides a clean solution with concealed fasteners, and some optional finishes to help it blend in. And the installation is a do-it-yourselfer's walk in the park.
And, of course, it delivers all that sound/light/air/smoke/feline protection.
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Extra Credit Glossary:
Schall in german is literally Sound. So, the SchallEx name gets at the sound attenuation qualities of this technology. However, for us english speakers, SchallEx perhaps suggests a lovable grandmother taking off that big shawl from around her shoulders with a dramatic flourish, because her house is no longer drafty and cold.
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Drop us a (fe)line!
Let us know what we can do to save you time.
We're here to get you through the tricky bits.
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Until next week...
If you need any help specifying these or other door hardware,
give us a call.
+1-888-636-1627
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