Panic Bar for Steel Door: 9 Lines to Order
For a steel or hollow metal door, order panic bar 309-S or alarm bar 314 for a single leaf, or 309-D or 308-D for a pair. Fix them into door reinforcement or with through-bolts, and tell the door maker the model before the door is built. Add trim, closer, hinges and stop.
The set to order
| Part | What to check | Models |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Panic device, single leaf | 309-S is listed for steel, aluminum or wooden doors, with its bar length confirmed against your drawing. 314 is listed for steel doors, in 650, 800 or 1000 mm, with a built-in alarm. | 309-S, 314 |
| 2. Panic device, pair | 309-D: 1100 mm bar, 85 mm projection, listed for steel double-leaf doors. 308-D: 1000 mm bar, 2400 mm high with rods, listed for metal and wooden doors. Confirm per-leaf quantity. | 309-D, 308-D |
| 3. Fixings for steel | Machine screws or through-bolts are not in this catalogue. The right one depends on what sits behind the door skin, in the table below. | |
| 4. Outside trim, pull side | Only if people enter from outside. 028 and 037 take 35 to 55 mm, so they suit a 44 mm (1-3/4 in) door. 039 takes 45 to 50 mm, cylinder included. 001 is a fixed pull plate, 300 × 75 mm. | 028, 037, 039, 001 |
| 5. Rim cylinder | For key access with no lever. X2 is brass with 3 keys, for doors up to 90 mm. The 314 photographs show a cylinder in its box, so skip this line there. | X2 |
| 6. Door closer | Size it to the real door weight. JU-093: 1050 mm, 45 to 85 kg. JU-072: 1050 mm, 40 to 65 kg. JU-074 is listed for steel doors and has an adjustable hold-open, so keep it off fire doors. | JU-093, JU-072, JU-074 |
| 7. Hinges, 3 per leaf | Match the frame preparation. BL028 is 4 × 3 in, 2.5 mm thick. SSH012 runs from 3.5 × 3.5 in to 5 × 3 in. IH01 is a handed flag hinge, 131 × 58 mm, 3 mm thick. | BL028, SSH012, IH01 |
| 8. Door stop | Keeps the outside trim off the wall. DS01 projects 96 mm from the wall. | DS01 |
| 9. Coordinator, pair only | Needed on a rebated pair or one with an astragal. DC02 is listed for steel doors: 397 × 120 mm, top of frame, inactive leaf first. | DC02, DSL02 |
Order the hardware before the door is built
A steel door is the one case where hardware comes first. Reinforcement is usually welded inside the door at a fixed height, and nobody can add it once the skins are closed. If the device reaches site after the door, the fixing holes fall on bare skin and the installer has to improvise.
So give the door maker the device model, the bar height and the side it fits on before production. Hole positions are confirmed against your drawing. The same goes for the closer, which needs reinforcement in the top rail and the frame head.
What sits behind the skin decides the fixing
Our 309-S photographs show ten self-drilling screws in the box. They suit sheet steel, but a thin skin alone is a poor anchor for a device people shove with their full weight. Ask the door maker before you rely on them.
| Behind the fixing point | Fixing for the bar | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Reinforcement plate at bar height | Machine screws into drilled and tapped holes | The plate must line up with the device holes |
| Bare skin, hollow or honeycomb core | Through-bolts with sleeve nuts | The sleeve keeps the door from crushing |
| Foam or insulated core | Through-bolts with sleeve nuts | Do not overtighten, or the face will dish |
| Mineral core, fire door | As the door certificate states | No hole the certificate does not allow |
Know the door you are buying for
The US Steel Door Institute grades hollow metal doors in four levels by skin gauge, and a lower gauge number means thicker steel. A common US commercial door is 914 × 2134 mm (3 ft 0 in × 7 ft 0 in) and 44 mm (1-3/4 in) thick. Outside the US, ask the door maker for skin thickness in mm.
| SDI level | Skin gauge |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 20 gauge |
| Level 2 | 18 gauge |
| Level 3 | 16 gauge |
| Level 4 | 14 gauge |
The frame needs the same thought
- The strike fixes into the steel frame, so check for reinforcement at latch height.
- A frame filled with grout is hard to work on later. Mark the strike position before the frame is set.
- A vertical rod device needs a top strike in the frame head and a bottom strike in the floor.
- A pair with no mullion needs top and bottom latching. Two rim latches have nothing to engage.
- Hinge pockets are cut when the frame is made, so hinge size follows the frame.
- US frames are often prepared for a 114 mm (4-1/2 in) hinge. We list 3.5, 4 and 5 in sizes, so tell us the preparation before you order.
What goes wrong on site
- The door arrives with no reinforcement at bar height. Through-bolts become the only clean fix.
- The closer is sized from door width alone. Use the door maker's weight as well.
- A 44 mm door is matched with a 45 to 50 mm trim. Check the listed range against the measured door.
- Swarf from drilling falls into the device. Cover the bar and clear the holes before fitting.
- A rod device is ordered for a door taller than its listed height. 308-D is 2400 mm with rods, so send the door height.
- An extra bolt is added to hold the inactive leaf. Any added lock can block the exit.
Quantities for one opening
Our 308-D photographs show one bar and two rods in the box, so a pair with a device on each leaf needs two. State leaves per opening on the order and we confirm what each line ships.
| Line | Single door | Pair |
|---|---|---|
| Panic device | 1 | 1 per leaf |
| Fixing set | 1 | 1 per device |
| Outside trim | 0 or 1 | 0 or 1, on the active leaf |
| Door closer | 1 | 2 |
| Hinges | 3 | 6 |
| Door stop | 1 | 2 |
| Coordinator | 0 | 1 if rebated or with an astragal |
What to send with the order
- Leaf width, height and thickness in mm.
- Skin gauge or thickness, and the core.
- Which reinforcements the door has, and at what height.
- Door weight from the door maker.
- Single door or pair, and any rebate or astragal.
- Frame type: welded, knock-down or grouted.
- Hinge preparation in the frame.
- Hinge side, seen from the pull side.
- Whether people enter from outside.
Questions buyers ask
Can a panic bar be fitted to a steel door after it is hung?
Yes. If the door has no reinforcement at bar height, use through-bolts with sleeve nuts. Reinforcement ordered with the door gives a cleaner result, so give the door maker the model first when you can.
Do I need through-bolts on a hollow metal door?
You need them where no reinforcement sits behind the fixing point. Where a reinforcement plate lines up with the device holes, machine screws go into drilled and tapped holes.
Are self-drilling screws enough?
Ask the door maker. They suit sheet steel, but a thin skin alone is a poor anchor for a device people push hard. Reinforcement or through-bolts hold better.
Which trim fits a 44 mm (1-3/4 in) steel door?
028 and 037 list 35 to 55 mm, so they take it. 039 lists 45 to 50 mm, so a 44 mm door falls just outside its range.
Which bar length suits a 914 mm (36 in) door?
The US minimum is 457 mm and the European minimum is 549 mm. The 800 mm length of model 314 fits inside the leaf and clears both.
Does a steel fire door take the same set?
Not automatically. Stahlock products carry no published fire certification, so the door's certificate decides. Keep any hold-open closer or dogging bar off that door.