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Industry News

The CBA Blog

Panic at the Disco

Jan 07, 2023
Unfortunately, it’s human nature to ignore a problem until tragedy inspires action – for example, boats never carried sufficient lifeboats unti ...

Seattle Building Geography

Nov 28, 2018
In this blog we try to focus on local construction – building materials, issues that may arise, solutions to those problems. Usually the focus i ...

Door Hardware Specifications - Where Do I Start?

Oct 17, 2018
Doors and door hardware are an incredibly important part of building specifications, and there are a lot of moving parts (pun intended) to getting ...

CBA Specification Services

Sep 14, 2018
I’ve referenced services that CBA provides in other posts, but don’t want this blog to get too “salesy.” However, what we do isn’t sales ...

Getting Door Hardware Specifications Right

Aug 29, 2018
The specification section of a construction document is the written paperwork that calls out every item that goes into the construction of a buildi ...

AIA Continuing Ed Breakdown

Aug 22, 2018
This article may not change your life but will add depth and value to your educational background. Doesn’t that sound great? Most of you readin ...

Life of a Threshold

Aug 15, 2018
Hager Companies is not only dedicated to quality door hardware, but advancing education as well. An article by Dan White, Product Development Mana ...

Seattle Construction Safety

Aug 08, 2018
The construction cranes crowding the Seattle skyline are no longer novel, but they're still an object of fascination for anyone tied to the constru ...

AIA Continuing Ed Credits

Aug 01, 2018
This article may not change your life but will add depth and value to your educational background. Doesn’t that sound great? Most of you readin ...

Screen Door Closer

Jul 18, 2018
The closer on my screen door is broken. It is probably 20+ years old (judging by the age of the screen door, which is also in terrible shape). I ...

Handing a Lock

Jul 12, 2018
Mortise locks are able to be "rehanded" - that is, they can be adjusted to work for either swing direction of the door on which they are installed. ...

Iconic Door Hardware 2

Jul 05, 2018
We are surrounded by doors and door hardware in modern life. It's hardware nerds' job to see it, explain it, and solve problems. But let's take a ...

Adjust Door Closers

Jun 20, 2018
Door closers are"programmable" - in this case this does not refer to software needing to have code rewritten, but adjustments that can be made to t ...

Bullet Resistant Doors and School Safety

Jun 13, 2018
I was in a Seattle coffee shop a couple of weeks ago and I overheard another customer say to her friend “they should put bullet-proof doors in th ...

ADA Design for Showers

Jun 06, 2018
ADA Design is an extremely important topic, one that CBA actually offers HSW Continuing Education courses about, to keep designers up-to-date with ...

Alaskan Door Hardware

May 24, 2018
One of the (many) perks of working at CBA is travel. There is a lot of business travel, which doesn't necessarily scream "fun," but it certainly g ...

Hager by Salto

May 02, 2018
About a year ago, Hager Companies rolled out a new "keyless entry" system - an electronic keying system that can be completely wireless. We think ...

National Park Hardware: The Painted Desert Inn

Apr 25, 2018
In the final (for now) chapter of National Park hardware photos, we are revisiting the Petrified Forest National Park. Today's photo is of the Pai ...

Doors: What Not To Do

Apr 18, 2018
Check out more from this hilarious artist at Poorly Drawn Lines

More National Park Hardware

Apr 11, 2018
The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest is known for its gorgeous scenery - geological layers in otherworldly colors are punctuated by ancient foss ...

How NOT to Fix an Exit Device

Apr 11, 2018
This interesting fix for a broken exit device was spotted out and about in Anacortes, WA.

Pittcon Industries

Apr 04, 2018
A few months ago, CBA Group began representing Pittcon, an architectural column covering manufacturer. This is a pretty esoteric field in construc ...

Funky Hold Open

Mar 28, 2018
We like to take pictures of hardware "in the wild" for the blog, and this application was just too good to pass by.

National Park Hardware

Mar 22, 2018
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Iconic Door Hardware

Mar 15, 2018
We are surrounded by doors and door hardware in modern life. It's hardware nerds' job to see it, explain it, and solve problems. But l ...

Learn More About Life Safety Hardware

Mar 07, 2018
CBA Group's own Jill Gile, who also happens to run this blog, had an article featured in the March DHI Magazine, Door Securit ...

What Does Mary Tyler Moore Have to Do With Hinges?

Feb 28, 2018
One of my favorite television shows to rewatch is "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." I'll admit, I got hooked on it when it reran ...

Hager Hardware In Action

Feb 21, 2018
CBA proudly represents Hager Companies, a door hardware manufacturing company with one of the best warranties in t ...

Hardware Archeology

Feb 14, 2018
This antique lock was spotted in Port Angeles, W ...

New Lines at CBA

Feb 06, 2018
CBA Group has added another line of manufacturers to their sales portfolio. We'r ...

Hardware Nerds in DC

Jan 30, 2018
CBA Group team members are in Washington DC this week for training (more on that in upcoming blogs!) and we spotted this impr ...

New ASC at CBA

Jan 23, 2018
Our alphabet soup blog title can be translated: we have a new Architectural Specifications Consultant (ASC) at Com ...

New Faces at CBA

Jan 09, 2018
CBA Group is going to be introducing new faces to the team, and others will be transitioning within the company. Keep your eyes on the blog for mo ...

Need Help with ADA Guidelines?

Jun 19, 2017
Hager has an AIA-registered Continuing Education course about ADA Accessibility. It is one of our more popular courses, and yet when I get to the ...

CSI Bi-Region Conference

May 01, 2017
Seattle will be hosting the CSI Bi-Region Conference in just a few weeks, and we're very excited to see everyone there! Two of CBA's own manufactu ...

Channel Iron Doors, Part 2

Apr 20, 2017
As we were admiring these doors, Jill pointed down to the right and asked me “why is that one hinge different?” An excellent question!

Channel Iron Doors

Apr 03, 2017
CBA's principal, Paul Patino, wrote up this blog post after spotting a real gold mine for hardware geeks on a recent trip to Capitol Hill in Seattl ...

Impressive Doors in Tacoma

Mar 31, 2017
These are the entry doors for one of my favorite craft breweries in the South Sound – Pacific Brewing and Malting Co., right here in my home town ...

IntroducIng: Jerry Dow!

Mar 28, 2017
We're extremely pleased to have added a new manufacturer rep to our team. You can see our new employee on our "about us" page, or keep reading here.

Gilgamesh Kicks

Mar 20, 2017
Recently on a trip to Salem Oregon I stopped in at one of my favorite craft breweries – Gilgamesh Brewing – for some refreshments. I looked ov ...

Oil Rubbed Bronze

Feb 06, 2017
US10B, colloquially known as oil rubbed bronze, is a hardware finish that's fortune has risen and fallen over the years. Recently, it appears to h ...

Aerial Acrobatics

Jan 16, 2017
My wife and I recently moved downtown, and wondered if we would miss the wildlife of suburbia (speaking of the animals, mind you). Now, instead of ...

CBA Group Is Growing!

Dec 13, 2016
CBA Group is extremely excited to announce that we have added two new manufacturers to the line of products that we represent. Oregon Door for flu ...

Norman Doors

Nov 07, 2016
Ever walked up, and then into, a door? Ever pushed on a pull door, or pulled on a push door, or simply pulled/pushed on the wrong side of a door?

Hager Hardware - In the Wild!

Oct 24, 2016
The Fremont Apartments in the Pearl District of Portland, OR feature eco-concious design, environmentally friendly living spaces, and best of all - ...

Iconic Seattle Architecture

Oct 17, 2016
I caught this recap of Seattle architecture in this month's CSI chapter newsletter, and had to share it with interested parties.

Hardware History

Oct 03, 2016
One of the perks of this job is that I get to travel all over the country, just to learn from other experts in the door hardware industry. In May, ...

Rabbet vs. Rabbit

Sep 26, 2016
Ever tried to explain something about a door frame and found yourself saying, "You know, this bit. This bit right here that sticks out. The stick ...

Sliding Door Popularity

Sep 12, 2016
Sliding doors are becoming more and more popular, and there are a few specific reasons why.

CBA GrOUP goes east!

Sep 06, 2016
CBA Group is proud to announce that we now represent West Central Manufacturing and Western Integrated Materials in Idaho! We had previously cover ...

More CBA Employees

Aug 15, 2016
Sammy Cat, Demotivational Manager, requested his own blog post.

Introducing the Newest CBA Employee

Aug 08, 2016
CBA Group welcomes the newest member of it's team: Gus!

Double Feature

Jul 25, 2016
I was lucky enough to be featured on the Hager blog regarding the article I wrote for the June edition of DHI's industry magazine. Check out the a ...

OshKosh Door Company History

Jun 26, 2016
OshKosh Door Company, CBA Group's wood door manufacturer, has a long and storied history based in Wisconsin's Fox River valley.

Why Do These Public Restrooms Have Hospital Latches?

Jun 20, 2016
CBA Group's sales territory extends from Oregon, Washington, parts of British Columbia, and Alaska. On a recent business trip, we spotted this set ...

Hager History

May 08, 2016
Hager Companies, one of the manufacturers that CBA Group represents, has been in business since 1849. Here's a little history recap for those of y ...

Door Hardware In Modern Life

May 02, 2016
A fellow architectural rep was previously employed at a school for mentally handicapped adults. She said that leaving that facility where everythi ...

DHI conNextions 2016

Apr 25, 2016
Hager Companies is running booth #431 at the DHI conNextions 2016 conference in Orlando, FL on May 4-5. If you're going to be in town feel free to ...

A Day In the Life: Part 5

Apr 18, 2016
The type of organization skills that I worked on as a lab manager have come in very handy these days. I work independently and my success rests so ...

A Day In the Life: Part 4

Apr 11, 2016
In science, there is also a definite “smartest one in the room” phenomenon. Everyone is competing for grant money to fund their research, and ...

Hager Companies - The Importance of Technology

Apr 05, 2016
I was lucky enough to write a guest post for the Hager Companies blog (www.hagerco.com/blog) in February about the importance of technology in our ...

A Day In the Life: Part 3

Apr 04, 2016
What I loved about science was the need to constantly learn. The scope of human knowledge is constantly expanding, and you have to be a lifetime l ...

A Day In the Life: Part 2

Mar 28, 2016
I get to talk to people all day, every day. I spend about three days a week calling architects and offering our complimentary services. I don’t ...

A Day In the Life: Becoming an Architectural Specifications Rep

Mar 21, 2016
I’m a newcomer to the door hardware industry. I watched my in-laws work in the industry for the last 8 years, but never paid a whole lot of atte ...

Introverts Make Better Reps

Mar 07, 2016
I am an introvert. Yes, I like to stay home on a Friday evening for “Netflix & chill.” Yes, the idea of a large group of people terrifies me ...

Nuts & Bolts of Hardware

Feb 29, 2016
The world of architectural hardware has a lot of parallels in my mind to the wardrobe that leads to Narnia. I didn’t know it was there, even tho ...

ADA Accessibility

Feb 22, 2016
Political correctness is almost a dirty word these days, and with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I heard it touted ar ...

Question of the week

Feb 15, 2016
In the last week, I have been asked at every Continuing Ed presentation - what is dogging? And where does the term come from? Door hardware is ful ...

Natural Disasters & Door Hardware

Feb 08, 2016
Talk of the Cascadia subduction zone blew up local media and filled up social media pages. According to the New Yorker article, we live in the mos ...

Architectural hardware sales

Feb 01, 2016
Architectural sales is a world unto itself. Had I known that being able to work from home was an option, I’m not sure I would have finished scho ...

Door and Opening Basics

Jan 07, 2016
We use doors every day, and I never even noticed how complicated they are. At their most basic, a door is a hole in a barrier, with an obstacle at ...

Handing a Door

Jan 07, 2016
One more thing that I never thought about before I got into the hardware business – the “handing” of a door. That’s right, the way a door ...

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