Why Hardware Schedules Matter More Than People Think

A hardware schedule sets out the architectural ironmongery required across the doors on a project, linking individual openings or door types to defined hardware sets.

It can look like a fairly administrative document: door numbers, product references, quantities and finishes. There is much more going on behind it. A single door might need to meet requirements for fire performance, accessibility, security, means of escape or access control, sometimes several at once.

On a large project, those decisions have to be made across hundreds of openings. If something is missed, it may not become apparent until products have been ordered or installation has begun.

What goes into a hardware schedule?

The schedule is normally developed alongside the door schedule, drawings and project specification. Each opening is identified and assigned the appropriate hardware.

This can include hinges, locks, handles, door closers, exit hardware and door protection, as well as access control or automatic door operators where required. Details such as product references, sizes, finishes and quantities are also recorded.

Doors with similar requirements can be grouped into hardware sets. Standard office doors might share one set, for example, while fire doors, accessible WCs, secure doors and final exits require others.

The door comes before the hardware

Before any hardware is selected, the door itself needs to be understood. Where is it in the building, how often will it be used and who will be using it? A busy hospital corridor door faces very different demands from one leading into a small office, even if the openings look similar on a drawing.

Fire and smoke performance, means of escape, security and accessibility can all influence the hardware required. External entrances bring weather and wind pressure into the equation, while the size, weight and construction of the door affect choices such as hinges and closers.

This is why assigning the same hardware set to doors because they appear similar can cause problems. Their purpose and performance requirements may be very different.

Making sure the components are compatible

Every piece of hardware fitted to a door has the potential to affect something else. A mortice lock determines which furniture can be used, while hinges need to accommodate the dimensions and weight of the door.

Door closers have to suit the door width and weight, but opening forces also matter where accessibility is concerned. Access control introduces further components, with electric locking, readers and mechanical hardware all needing to work together.

Fire-resisting doors need particular care. Hardware must be suitable for the door construction and application, with appropriate evidence to support its use. A product having fire-performance evidence does not automatically make it suitable for every fire doorset.

Working through these relationships at the schedule stage is much easier than discovering an incompatibility during installation.

Where compliance enters the schedule

Several requirements can apply to the same opening. A secure access-controlled fire door, for example, may need to control entry during everyday use, allow safe egress and retain the required fire performance.

Accessibility adds another consideration. A closer may need enough power to return a fire door reliably to its closed position, but excessive opening resistance can make the door difficult for some people to use.

The hardware schedule allows these requirements to be considered for each opening and leaves a clear record of what has been specified.

From procurement to installation

By procurement stage, the schedule should provide a clear picture of what needs to be ordered, including quantities, finishes, sizes, handing and any particular variants. The correct product in the wrong configuration can still be unusable.

Once work reaches the site, its purpose becomes even more practical. An installer needs to identify a door and know what should be fitted to it, particularly where similar-looking doors perform different functions.

The schedule also needs to correspond with the preparation of the door and frame. If a door has been machined for one lock and a different product arrives on site, the solution may involve far more than exchanging the lock.

Managing changes and substitutions

Hardware schedules will often change as a project develops. Door construction can be revised, access control added or an alternative product proposed because of availability, cost or lead time.

Any change needs to be considered in relation to the rest of the opening. A different lock could require different furniture or door preparation, while changes to electronic locking could affect the mechanical hardware.

Fire-resisting doors require particular attention because an alternative product must be suitable for the intended application and supported by appropriate evidence. Describing something as an equivalent does not establish that it can be used in the same doorset.

Once agreed, changes should be reflected in the schedule so the design, procurement and site teams continue to work from the same information.

Catching problems before they reach the site

Many hardware problems are easier to resolve while they still exist on a drawing or schedule. Once doors have been manufactured and products delivered, the same issues become harder to address.

A lock might not suit the door construction, furniture may be incompatible with the locking arrangement, or hinges may not be appropriate for the door weight. Quantities may no longer match the latest door schedule, or a door could have been prepared for hardware that was subsequently changed.

One mistake on one opening may be manageable. If the same hardware set has been repeated across 50 doors, replacement products, remedial work and delays can quickly follow.

Getting the information right early

Producing an accurate hardware schedule requires an understanding of the drawings, door schedule and project specification, alongside detailed product knowledge and the performance requirements of each opening.

Working through this information early gives the project team more opportunity to resolve issues before doors are manufactured and hardware is ordered. The schedule can then develop with the project, providing a reference through specification, procurement and installation.

Lloyd Worrall’s architectural ironmongery team can support this process, developing hardware sets around the requirements of each opening and helping to identify potential issues before they reach site.

A hardware schedule may occupy a small part of the project documentation, but the decisions recorded there eventually become physical parts of the building. Getting them right early can prevent much more difficult problems later.

Get in touch to find out how Lloyd Worrall can support your architectural ironmongery specification and hardware scheduling:
https://www.lloydworrall.co.uk/contact/