By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

The touch bar is the same. The outside of the door is the decision.

Customers pick the Von Duprin 35A for the touch bar and then stall on the part number, because the 35A comes in several versions and the price page does not tell you what each one does to the outside of the door. The inside is identical: a rim exit device with a smooth touch bar. What changes is how somebody gets in from the outside, if they get in at all.

The Von Duprin 35A Series is an ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1 rim exit device, UL listed for panic exit hardware, with hex key dogging standard. The touch bar is non-handed and field-reversible, so one part number covers a left-hand-reverse and a right-hand-reverse swing. The listings here are the 3-foot (36 inch) width in satin chrome (US26D), and the mechanical warranty is 10 years. The outside function is the part you pick.

EO: exit only

35A-EO-US26D-3 is exit only. Touch bar inside, nothing outside. No trim, no cylinder, no way to open the door from the street side with a key. This is the right device on a door that nobody should enter from outside: a rear exit, a stairwell door that leads out, a door that opens onto an alley. The catalog notes that outside trim is not included, so if you want any outside hardware later, you order it separately. If you want the whole story on an exit-only device, our write-up on the Von Duprin 22 series exit-only covers what to expect on the street side.

DT: dummy trim

35A-DT-US26D-3 adds a dummy trim: a non-functional pull on the outside, for appearance and for something to grab. The door still cannot be opened from outside. Choose the DT when the door needs a pull handle for people to close it, or when you want the outside of the door to look finished. It needs no cylinder.

NL: night latch

This is the one I see most. The listing for the night latch version notes that it is the most common 35A function on commercial buildings, and that matches what I see on the job. Outside, the door locks and unlocks by key, and inside the touch bar is always free. You get a door that stays locked from outside by default and still lets everyone out. Two versions are in stock:

• 35A-NL-RHR-US26D-3: night latch with the 386NL trim, right-hand reverse. A left-hand version is also listed.
• 35A-NL-OP-US26D-3: night latch with optional pull, using the 388 trim. The key retracts the latch, and a pull is optional.

Both ship less cylinder. The 386NL calls for a mortise cylinder and the 388 takes a rim cylinder, so order the cylinder that matches the trim you pick, and match the keyway to what the building already uses. A night latch with no cylinder is a night latch that does not lock. This is the step people forget.

L: lever trim

35A-L-US26D-3-LHR is the lever version, with the 360L lever on the outside. The outside lever retracts the latch for entry, so someone with a key, or on a door that stays unlocked in business hours, can walk in by turning the lever. This version is handed, so the listing says left-handed, and it also ships less cylinder. Use it where you want a lever, not a pull, on the outside of a door that people come in through all day.

One more thing: the stile

The 35A is the wide-stile version of the 33A. The same touch bar mechanism, designed for standard-width doors. The catalog guidance is that if the stile is 4 inches or wider, the 35A is the best fit and gives the best appearance. If your door is an aluminum storefront with a narrow stile, check our piece on the Von Duprin 33A for an aluminum storefront door before you buy. The 35A also takes the same trim and cylinder accessories as the 33A, so a project that mixes both does not need two sets of parts.

Dogging: what the hex key does

Every 35A here comes with hex key dogging standard. A hex key turns a small fitting on the device and holds the latch retracted, so the door swings freely without the bar being pushed. People use it on a shop or office door during business hours, so customers can walk in without a key or a lever. At closing time you release the dogging and the door latches again. One caution: a dogged door is an unlatched door. On a door with a fire label or on any door covered by a code you have to follow, ask your inspector before you dog it as a habit.

Ordering checklist

1. Door width: the listings in this article are the 3-foot width.
2. Function: EO, DT, NL or L, from who needs to come in from outside.
3. Handing, for the lever and night latch versions that are listed as left or right.
4. Cylinder: the night latch and lever versions ship without one, and the 386NL and the 388 call for different cylinder types.
5. Finish: satin chrome (US26D) in every listing here.

If one of those five is a guess, call us. Four right answers and one wrong one is still a device that does not fit.

How to pick in sixty seconds

Ask who enters this door from outside. Nobody: EO, or DT if it needs a pull. Staff with keys, door locked after hours: NL. People who walk in through a lever all day: L. Then ask whether you have the cylinder, because every version except EO and DT ships without one.

Common questions

Is the Von Duprin 35A handed?

The touch bar is non-handed and field-reversible. The lever trim version is handed, so choose left or right when you order.

Does the 35A come with a cylinder?

The night latch and lever versions ship less cylinder. Order a mortise or rim cylinder to match the trim and your existing keyway.

Which 35A function is the most common?

The night latch. Key control from outside and free egress from inside.

Is the Von Duprin 35A fire rated?

The exit only listing is marked non-fire-rated. Check the product page of the version you pick, and if your door carries a fire label, call us before you order.

What door width are these?

The listings in this article are the 3-foot, 36 inch width.

More from the maker is on our Von Duprin page. Call us if you want help picking the outside trim.