Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems, Ltd., sent me these photos which help to illustrate what happens when a protection plate is sized incorrectly.  In addition to the requirements for protection plates on fire doors (those are here), there is the very simple question…

How wide should a protection plate be?

For once, this is an easy one to answer.  For single doors, the kick plate width is typically 2 inches less than the nominal door width (36 inches – 2 inches = 34 inches).  This ensures that there is no conflict between the plate and the stops on the frame.  For pairs of doors without a mullion, the width of the plate is usually 1 inch less than the door width.  With a mullion, the single-door formula is typically used – door width minus 2 inches.  This can vary slightly depending on the width of the mullion.

This is what happens when your protection plate is too wide:

  

You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.