DOORS AND HARDWARE • MAY 200628

HistoryOriginally, Lite kits

(Vision frames) were manufactured and sup-plied through the door m a nu f a c t u r e r a n d shipped with the door. Because labor was much cheaper, there were fewer benefits to pay and more productivity per person, every door manufactur-er made their own ver-sion. Most frames were labor intensive to install and were either square or rectangular in shape. They were generally not required to be WHI or UL listed for fire, with door cutouts and installation done on the jobsite by the door hanger, who was usually an experienced carpenter. Lite kits were considered to be part of the door and its assembly.

Metal Door Louvers were manufactured by HVAC, ( Air Distribution) companies and were usually in the mechanical section of the specification. Some of those same companies still do manufacture and distribute Grilles, Registers, and Diffusers for ceilings, floors and walls to heat and air condi-tion all types of residential and commercial properties.

Wood Louvers were sold on all types of interior and exterior door applications. However, they had to be painted or stained and did not hold up well under exterior weather conditions.

Evolving Market for Vision Frames

Original Lite kit designs were very basic, using 16 or 18 gauge steel for the frames and sheet metal screws (screw-

ing both sides of the frame into each side of the door). Or they were made with thru-bolts (sex bolts), that requ ired pre- d r i l l -ing holes around the perimeter of the cut out in the door, using the frame as a template in order to fasten the thru bolts and frame together in the door.

A s l a b o r c o s t s increased, self attach-ing (screw one side of

the frame into the opposite side of the frame through the cut out in the door) began to be introduced into the market. Some manufacturers started making their Vision frames with thru bolt installation, but designed them so that the thru-bolt fastened through the door cutout as a faster means of installation.

For a quick look at just how far Lite kits have come over the years, consider that back in “the old days,” ¼” wire glass was considered fire AND safety rated and was used in all types of installations. Vision frames were made pri-marily for ¼” glass and 1¾” doors or 1⅜” doors for wood Lites and Louvers. The top selling size was a 10” × 10” vis-ible lite. There was no ADA code. Some standard sizes were stocked, in squares and rectangles.

A few non-square shapes, round, race-track, round corner, “D” shapes were being introduced into the market.

Then, in November of 1980, the MGM Grand Hotel fire started a process that changed building codes that involved fire doors. Now, fire rated door assemblies had

How many times has your door shop begun preparing a door order for delivery, only to realize that you didn’t have enough Lite kits stock on hand to fill the order? Well, this article will attempt to better educate and

put a bit more importance on an issue that can cause you a great deal of headache, so let me tell you how it all started.

Don’t Forget About the Lite kits

t first glance, one might think that there isn’t a whole

lot to consider when it comes to specifying lite kits and

louvers. This may be true compared to other aspects of

door openings and related hardware; however, there

are several important factors to keep in mind when

selecting lite kits and louvers for any new construction or

retrofit project. The next two articles look at the history of

lite kits and offer some important tips for specifying the

correct lite kits and louvers every time.

By Hank krueger, anemostat

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DOORS AND HARDWARE • MAY 200630

to be machined for hardware with Vision frame cutouts, at a licensed UL or WHI listed door shop manufac-turer of distributor. A label denoting the UL and/or WHI listing mark, was required on each fire rated door and frame, insured compliance with the loosely enforced new fire codes.

By now, the market had distinct and separate Vision frame and Door Louver manufacturers who began to specialize in the various developing market niches. Distributors began to inventory their Lite kits and Louvers for those small quick turn around jobs from which they derived a good mar-gin. Door manufacturers began to look to the Vision frame/Door Louver man-ufacturer to provide products. It was the door manufacturers who saw the beginning of a diversification in Lites and Louvers that would require more product expertise.

Then came NFPA—80, the 1990 edi-tion, which directed that all fire-rated glass be “permanently identified with a listing mark. The listing mark shall be visible after installation.”

This began the process that would begin a fairly dramatic change when

selling Vision frames. Now, the door manufacturer and/or distributor would begin to consider furnishing fire-rated glass, in addition to providing the rest of the fire-rated door opening assem-bly. Part of this procedure requires that the manufacturer or distributor be cer-tified by a recognized testing agency (ie.WHI, Underwriters Lab, etc.).

In spite of the fact that the building code officials were not geographically or consistently enforcing the NFPA—80 labeling requirement, profit ori-ented distributors quickly realized the sales add-on potential of “would you also like fries (glass) with your burger (Vision frame) Mr. Contractor?”

This forward thinking, income-gen-erating philosophy was found to be par-ticularly successful in those door and hardware distributors who kept suf-ficient warehouse inventory of Vision frames and glass for their will-call busi-ness. They quickly realized that the small contractor had to buy the glass from someone, so why shouldn’t it be the company furnishing the correct door and hardware that would fit the code requirements of each fire-rated opening?

Glazing MaterialsThe markets would continue to

evolve as a variety of new glazing products became available. Wire glass was the original. Available in ¾” dia-mond or ½” square pattern, it had always been fire-rated, but given an exemption for impact/safety by the C.P.S.C (Consumers Product Safety Commission) in 1977 (CPSC 16 CFR 1201). Based upon ANSI Z97.1, wire glass could only withstand an impact of 100 foot pounds—about the weight of a five year old child.

So why the exemption? Wire glass was the most readily available, low-est cost option for glass in fire, and (at that time) impact/safety rated doors. Remember that prior to the late 1970’s, when tempered glass became the major product for impact/safety rated openings, wire glass was consid-ered to be THE safety AND fire rated product used in doors, sidelights and transoms. Wire glass was given the exemption because it could not pass the following higher standards for impact/safety glazing in North Ameri-ca designated by “Code of Federal Reg-ulations” part 16 (16 CFR).

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DOORS AND HARDWARE • MAY 200632

Ceramic glazing products came to the market in the early 1990’s. They were clear, fire rated and expensive. They provided a “clear” alternative to the institutional look of wired glass. Like wire glass, the first versions of ceramic glass were not impact/safety rated and could not pass Category I or II.

It wasn’t until the mid- 1990`s that glazing products with both a fire and safety rating started entering the mar-ket. Most were versions of the ceramic glass, with a clear film applied to one side or between two layers of the ceram-ic glass. Most of these products could pass the Cat I and/or Cat II impact/safe-

ty standards, as well as being fire tested in various sizes for doors and walls or transoms up to 3 hours.

Transparent wall units, widely used in Europe have also become popular for use in some door applications, but are used primarily in large expans-es of glass including walls or tran-soms. Some have a gel type material between layers of glass or others use multiple layers of glass with inter-layers that block the heat transfers of the fire as well as provide impact/safety resistance and can, in special configurations, even provide bullet or sound resistance.

For the 20 minute applications of fire and impact/safety, are the spe-cially fabricated clear glass products. Most of these 20 minute products are heat strengthened and cannot be cut after being manufactured. How-ever, recent additions to the market include types of 20 minute glass that can be cut by the distributor.

Tempered and Laminated Glass are also products with a impact/safety rating only, and therefore not fire rat-ed. Tempered glass is a heat strength-ened product, must be ordered to size and cannot be cut in the field. It is rated up to a Cat II level based on the visible lite size. Laminated glass is two layers of annealed glass joined with a plastic inter-layer. It can be cut to size in the field.

Installation

Glazing tapes are always wise to use, when installing any type of glass into a metal Lite kit. It will seal the perimeter of the glass to the frame and help reduce leakage from mois-ture or sound. Although tapes are not always visible, a UL or WHI listed tape is always a good choice. Some distributors, incorrectly glaze, using a butyl tape, (black in a 25’ft coil) that is petroleum based, therefore very flammable. Butyl also gets soft and gooey in hot weather and can crack in cold weather. Intumescent tapes are also required for use by some Vision frame manufacturers based on their individual test reports and listings. When selling and/or installing glass with Vision frames, the listings of each Vision Lite manufacturer should be checked because some may require a much more expensive intumescent tape to comply with their listing.

Caulking can also be used when glazing glass into Vision frames,

100lbs.

100lbs.

100lbs.

Category II48" Drop Height400 ft./lbs.Full Grown Adult

Category I18" Drop Height150 ft./lbs.85 lbs. Child

ANSI Z97.112" Drop Height100 ft./lbs.5 Year Old Child

A description of the test procedure for 16 cfr is As follows:

Category I—glazing materials are subjected to impact of a 100lb bag swing

from an 18’ drop height (approximately 150 ft/lbs impact) with no single piece

of glazing material greater than 9 square feet in surface area (visible lite =

1296 sq in). Cat I simulates an 85 lb child running into glazing material.

Category II—glazing materials are subjected to an impact of a 100 lb bag

swung from a 48” drop height (approximately 400 ft/lb impact), with any

piece of glazing material GREATER than 9 square feet in surface area. Cat II

simulates a full-grown adult running into the glazing material.

MAY 2006 • DOORS AND HARDWARE 33

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although it’s not usually preferred over glazing tapes, because caulking is messier and does not give the clean finished appearance of glazing tape. Most 100% silicone caulkings are approved for glazing Vision frames into fire rated doors.

Specialty Vision Frames

Although most Vision frames sold are square or rectangular in shape, most Vision frame manufacturers can produce almost any shape based upon the design requirement of the Architect. Round Lite kits, as well as crosses for use in churches are very popular. There have also been shapes such as triangles, half circle tops, company logos, ice cream cone shapes, the Star of David or even a question mark. The model profile of each shape may vary by manufacturer based on the custom shape required. Special tooling and lead times may also be required to manufacture these type of “specials,” and they usually carry a pretty heavy price tag.

Special Glass or Door thickness-es are also issues to consider when ordering Lite kits. Most commercial doors, whether fire rated or not, are 1 ¾’ thick throughout North America. In Europe, they can vary by country and fire rating from 1 ¾” (44mm) to 2 ¾” (70mm). Glass, likewise, has been primarily ¼” thick for wire or tempered glass and 3/16” for ceram-ics, all fitting standard Vision frames inventoried throughout North Amer-ica. However, with fire and safety rat-ed glass now becoming a requirement for fire doors, glass manufacturers are using layers of glass or film to insure passage of the Cat I and/or II safety rating and some are available in greater thicknesses than ¼”, and will not fit into a “standard” Vision

frame. That’s when a special order Vision frame is required, and unlike the consistency of the 1 ¾” door, glass thicknesses vary by each glass manufacturer’s product and the num-ber of minutes to which that product was tested.

The primary material used in man-ufacturing Vision frames and Door Louvers is cold rolled steel with a baked enamel or a powder coated fin-ish. Primer colors and stocked fin-ish colors will vary by manufacturer. Custom colors can be created based on the individual cost of each color, which varies by manufacturer and whether baked enamel or powder coating is used. Sample chips, a high-er cost and a bit more lead time are usually required when ordering.

Stainless steel in a #304 or #316, usually in a #4 finish (brushed satin) is also used extensively in highly cor-rosive, humid, clean room, or exte-rior applications. Galvanizing is used on Vision frames and Door Louvers, particularly in exterior applications. Keep in mind that galvanizing is a coating or dipping process over cold rolled steel and the thickness of the coating varies greatly based upon whether it’s a flash coat, galvanneal, zinc-plated, hot dipped or any other type of galvanizing process used.

Security Emphasis

Before 9-11 and definitely since, Lite kits, Door Louvers and Glazing products has had a growing niche for more secure products. These involve heavier gauges of steel, special secu-rity screws, security bars, or grilles to protect the product or occupants. These same features protect against burglary and vandalism and are also used in prisons, jails, psychiatric institutions, as well as schools.

DOORS AND HARDWARE • MAY 200634

Fire Testing

All Vision frames and Door Louvers sold into fire rated doors, must be test-ed and certified by an accredited and recognized testing agency, usually Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and/or Intertek Testing Services—War-nock Hersey (WHI). Products passed are then listed with the appropriate company(s), with the Vision frame and Louver company paying a month-ly inspection fee for follow up service to insure manufacturing compliance for each product, as it was tested.

Fire testing is done on a compo-nent based standard, which basically means different manufacturers of dif-ferent product groups test to the same test Standard and time frame (20, 40, 60, 90 and 180 minutes) and can be interchanged in like door assemblies. This includes doors, locks, closers, panic bars, weather stripping, hinges, along with the Lite kits and glazing or Door Louvers.

The current fire test standard is to the UL 10C and UBC 7.2-97 for posi-

tive pressure. This standard deter-mines how particular products are tested to insure a consistency through-out the industry.

Testing of various products can be extremely confusing when trying to find a door (wood or metal) rated for a specific time frame (20,45 minutes etc) that will accommodate a certain size of glass (based on the visible lite) and Vision frame. The critical issue is what are the maximum sizes tested, on each product, within the same time frame. (i.e. wood door tested to a maximum of 1296 square inches visible lite at 45 minutes cannot have a Vision frame and glazing installed that exceed 1296 at 45 minutes, regardless of the maxi-mum sizes to which the Vision frame or glass has been tested). So just because a glass company or Vision frame man-ufacturer has a 45 minute listing, for example, with 2560 square inches in a door, there is no guarantee it will be compatible in all wood or metal doors, but may only be used with those man-ufacturers (wood and/or metal) that allow 2560 square inches in their door,

per their UL and/or WHI listing. That size of glass may only be allowed in a 4-0x8-0 door and not be allowed in a 3-0x7-0 door, or it may have originally been tested in a steel door, therefore it can only be installed in those steel door manufacturers who have the list-ing for that size of glass at the minute level tested in their particular brand of door… So always check with the door manufacturer of the door being sold, as to what their given maximum listings are by visible lite and fire-rating. It will prevent problems in the long run.

So next time someone says, it’s “just a Lite kit” or asks “how hard is it to sell Lite kits?” you can now say, that there’s a bit more to it than you originally thought. So remember,

“Don’t Forget aBout tHe LIte kIts!”

Hank Krueger is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Anemostat Products, Carson, California. He has been with Anemostat for sev-enteen years and involved in the residential/com-mercial door business for over thirty- three years. For more information, visit www.anemostat.com