Commercial locksmith · Tampa Bay
Panic Bars & Exit Device Installation in Tampa, FL
People have to be able to get out without a key, a code, or a moment’s thought. We install and repair exit devices that do that reliably.Retail, restaurants, warehouses and offices across Tampa Bay.Licensed HCLOC18009 · ALOA member · BBB A+EGRESS, PLAINLY
The rule behind every panic bar is simple
Anyone inside must be able to leave in a single motion, without a key, a code, or any special knowledge. That’s the whole principle, and every legitimate piece of exit hardware exists to satisfy it while still keeping people from wandering in from outside.
It’s also why the improvised fixes are so dangerous. A padlock and chain on a rear exit, a bolt added because the door kept blowing open, a deadbolt fitted above a push bar — each one turns a legal exit into a trap, and each one is the sort of thing that fails an inspection on sight. If a door has been secured that way because it wouldn’t latch, the honest fix is repairing the door.
Which device belongs on which door
Rim devices mount on the surface and suit most single doors — simple, hard-wearing, easy to service. Mortise devices fit into the door edge and get specified for the lock case, the trim options and the door prep rather than for looks. Vertical rod devices, surface or concealed, latch top and bottom and are what pairs of doors usually need where there’s no center mullion.
Fire-rated doors bring one extra rule worth knowing: they must latch every time, so the dogging feature that lets you hold a device retracted during business hours isn’t permitted on them. (Electric latch retraction interfaced to the fire alarm is a different thing and is allowed on rated devices.) Fire-door devices are specified differently, and using the wrong one is a common and expensive finding.
If the problem is a fire door being propped open, the fix is a door-position alarm that senses the door standing open — not an alarmed exit device, which only sounds when somebody pushes the bar. Alarmed devices are the right answer to a different question: knowing when an exit has actually been used.
WHAT TO EXPECT
How an exit device job runs
Tell us whether the door is fire-rated. It changes what can legally go on it.- Describe the doorsSingle or pair, fire-rated or not, existing hardware.
- We check the openingFrame, closer, latching, and how the door is actually used.
- Scope and price agreedConfirmed before installation begins.
- Installed and testedOpens in one motion, latches every time, closes properly.
RELATED COMMERCIAL SERVICES
Works alongside exit hardware
FAQ
Exit device and fire-code questions
Can we chain the back door after hours?
No. It blocks escape and will fail inspection. If the door isn’t secure, the problem is the door or the hardware — and both are fixable properly.
Can we stop staff propping the fire door open?
A door-position alarm is the right tool — it sounds when the door is held open, which is the actual behavior you want to stop. An alarmed exit device only triggers when the bar is pushed, so it will not catch propping.
What is dogging, and why can’t we have it?
Dogging holds the latch retracted so the door pushes open freely during business hours. It’s useful on ordinary doors, but a fire door has to latch every time, so mechanical dogging isn’t permitted there. Electric latch retraction tied into the fire alarm is the compliant way to get the same convenience.
Our panic bar is stiff and noisy. Repair or replace?
Often repairable — frequently it’s the latch or the door alignment rather than the device. We’ll tell you which, and why, before quoting.