Lori is the Manager, Codes and Resources for Allegion, and the creator of iDigHardware. With more than 35 years of experience in the door and hardware industry, in her current role she focuses exclusively on the code requirements that apply to door openings.
Perhaps the door was needed for moving large equipment, but is no longer needed for that purpose [maybe some other double-wide door was added elsewhere, or the width was needed at a time when things like computers were much larger than they are today]? If the door isn’t needed as a fire barrier, would replacing the door with a single-width door and walling off the extra width offer any benefit to justify the cost?
I don’t know if this is a fire door, but let’s just imagine that it is. The rating of a fire door is typically lower than the required rating of the wall – for example, a 90-minute door in a 2-hour wall. The reason is because there is theoretically a lower fuel load adjacent to an operable swinging door. If the door is not operable any more, then it could have stored items, furniture, etc. piled against it and would require the higher rating (matching the wall) because of the higher fuel load. So when a fire door is no longer used, the opening has to be modified so that it has the same fire rating as what is required for the wall.
I wonder if the security contact works,,,
When they open the door???
Perhaps the door was needed for moving large equipment, but is no longer needed for that purpose [maybe some other double-wide door was added elsewhere, or the width was needed at a time when things like computers were much larger than they are today]? If the door isn’t needed as a fire barrier, would replacing the door with a single-width door and walling off the extra width offer any benefit to justify the cost?
Hi John –
I don’t know if this is a fire door, but let’s just imagine that it is. The rating of a fire door is typically lower than the required rating of the wall – for example, a 90-minute door in a 2-hour wall. The reason is because there is theoretically a lower fuel load adjacent to an operable swinging door. If the door is not operable any more, then it could have stored items, furniture, etc. piled against it and would require the higher rating (matching the wall) because of the higher fuel load. So when a fire door is no longer used, the opening has to be modified so that it has the same fire rating as what is required for the wall.
– Lori
Gee, does the conduit through the door violate any warranty or fire label??
That’s the tamper for the electrical panel, right?
Now That’s a power transfer!
wow, it looks like the have a half of a strike on the inactive leaf. I wonder if it’s even 1-3/8″ thick.