As I talk to people about fire door assembly inspection, two sides of the discussion have emerged. Many understand the increased life safety and fire protection provided by code-compliant fire doors - others think the deficiencies are too overwhelming to address.
This elementary school fire door "fix" is one way to keep the wedges from disappearing but might be tough to explain when the fire marshal shows up for an inspection.
Have you ever pointed out a door problem to someone and had them respond with a shrug and some form of "so what"? A fire door is held open improperly...so what - chances are slim that the building will catch on fire today. Right??
At first glance this may look like just another creative Fixed-it Friday alteration, but upon deeper investigation it's a cringe-worthy Wordless Wednesday application. How will this opening protective perform during a fire? Who knows??
...Another propped-open fire door. When are people going to learn?? If you don't know why this is a problem, click the link to watch a video that will teach you all about fire door assemblies.
With permission from the author, Hal Kelton of DoorData Solutions, along with Door Security + Safety Magazine, I'm excited to share this article.
Fire door assemblies with counterfeit labels - am I the only one who finds this an extremely disturbing idea? Who knows how these doors will perform if there is a fire???
The Steel Door Institute (SDI) just released a new video that covers the annual inspection requirements for fire door assemblies. Feel free to share it!
Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) is a UK-based organization dedicated to fire door safety. Sharing this information about US fire doors could improve building safety.
I think online learning is here to stay. Which doesn't mean that we'll never see each other in person again, but there's a lot we can learn in the meantime.
In case you missed this short paragraph in the NFPA Journal article I shared on Monday, I wanted to bring it to your attention since several iDigHardware readers emailed me about it...
I receive a lot of questions about the code requirements for fire door assembly inspections, so when the Steel Door Institute asked me to write an article on the subject, I was more than willing!
Today's Quick Question: Can an existing fire door be labeled in the field for a higher rating than what it was originally listed for?
If NFPA 80 requires 1/8-inch or 3/16-inch maximum perimeter clearance for fire door assemblies, is it acceptable to add the manufacturing tolerance to that dimension?
One side of this device is attached to the door with double-sided tape, and the other side is magnetic. It is used in a memory care facility to indicate whether a resident's room is vacant or occupied. WWYD?
The new fire door inspection cards have been updated, and they will be printed and laminated soon! Thank you for your patience! (I also have a label question for you.)
If a labeled fire door is installed in a location where a fire door is not required, must the assembly be maintained and inspected according to the requirements of NFPA 80?
Do you use our laminated fire door assembly inspection cards? I could really use your help!
Yesterday, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke with Bill Ritter on the show Up Close about recent fires that occurred in NYC, where open doors had a negative impact on safety.
Fire, panic, and other emergencies can strike anywhere, any time. To offer the highest level of protection, buildings must be code-compliant everywhere, all the time.
This documentary should be required viewing - not just for those of us who are involved in codes, but for anyone who enters buildings (that means everyone).
There's more than one way to hold open a door for convenience, and if it's a fire door, the method needs to be code-compliant. Here's a great Fixed-it Friday example.
If a door or frame has a label indicating that is is fire rated, is the assembly required to be maintained and inspected as required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 101? A proposed code change offers a clarification.
This article was published in the October 2019 issue of Locksmith Ledger, and includes some questions that you can use to determine whether your code knowledge is up-to-date.
It warms my heart that in the last 10 years, the number of people who actually notice these problems (and often do something to resolve them) has increased significantly.
Maybe rules really are made to be broken? Which code requirements are being violated with this creative Wordless Wednesday installation?
Do you know of any facility that is using the performance-based option for fire door assembly inspection? I asked the Joint Commission about it...
Imagine that you are moving your mom into an assisted living facility, and you notice that the door closer on every fire-rated apartment entrance door has been disconnected...
The first step in improving fire door safety is identifying the problems that are consistently seen in the field. How can the industry help improve the durability and performance of opening protectives?
Regarding an existing fire door assembly - the door has a fire label but the frame does not. Is the frame required to have a label?
Here it is - my favorite Fixed-it Friday photo of all time (so far)! If you have any interesting door photos from your summer vacation, I'd love to see them!
Much of the work to replace deficient fire doors in London residential blocks has not been completed, so one man decided to take matters into his own hands to prove a point. Don't do this.
I receive so many questions about fire doors vs. smoke doors; my article from the June issue of Construction Specifier answers many of them.
Does painting or refinishing a fire door in the field void the label? The answer to today's Quick Question seems obvious, but can you prove it?
Someone recently asked me...if residential bedroom doors do such a great job of keeping the fire out, why bother with fire doors? What's the difference?
Is an existing fire door assembly with 2 hinges acceptable, or should it be noted as a deficiency during a fire door inspection?
It's almost time to submit change proposals for NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 - tell me what's on your wish list and I'll see what I can do to help!
Heads up - the 5-pound force limit on operable hardware is something everyone should be aware of long before the final inspection by the AHJ.
To bring more clarity, the Fire Protection Research Foundation has begun work on a full-scale fire test on fire doors with varying gaps between the door and frame.
Have you ever run into a situation where a piece of hardware or a mortar box in a fire-rated frame prevented the GWB from penetrating 1/2-inch into the frame, as required by NFPA 80?
Follow-Up #1: For which types of hardware does NFPA 80 allow job-site preparations to be made in fire door assemblies?
If you're not in the habit of reading NFPA 80 cover-to-cover each time it is updated, this one might have slipped by you. It's an important change.
The answer: In almost every US state. With that said, having it required by code and having it enforced by the AHJ are sometimes two different things.
Can less-bottom-rod (LBR) fire exit hardware with an auxiliary fire pin be installed on an existing fire door? If you have anything to add, please weigh in!
On a fire door assembly, is it acceptable to drill/cut a hole in the frame for the latchbolt, and not install the strike?
What's the proper protocol when a fire door assembly has been installed where it is not required? If you're considering the use of decomissioning labels, read this first.
Code issues are not uncommon in hotels, apartment buildings, and other residential occupancies. My next Decoded article addresses some things to look for.
Considering the liability a hotel could face if their fire door assemblies failed to perform during a fire, the repair methods employed by many hotels seem pretty irresponsible.
The British Woodworking Federation offers dozens of resources to increase awareness about fire door assemblies across the UK. What types of tools do we need in the US?
This summer I visited quite a few colleges, and this dorm left me Wordless. :( Can you find all of the code-related issues with these fire doors and egress doors?
