In multifamily buildings, fire door assemblies play a crucial role in the passive fire protection system.  These doors, frames, and hardware are tested as assemblies to ensure that they will help to deter the spread of smoke and flames for a period of time – 20 minutes up to 3 hours.  In past apartment fires, open fire doors have led to fatalities, often due to smoke spread (refer to this Decoded article for more information).

Unit entry doors leading from the corridor to a dwelling unit or sleeping unit are typically listed and labeled to provide 20 minutes of fire protection.  Over time, these doors may require maintenance in order to keep them operating as designed and tested.  Stairwell doors provide 60-90 minutes of fire protection, and there are additional code requirements that apply to the security of stair doors.

The model codes and referenced standards adopted in most US states require annual inspections of fire door assemblies, but there are simple steps that can be taken more frequently to make sure fire doors are always operating properly:

  1. Does the door close automatically each time it is opened?  An open fire door will serve no purpose during a fire, so fire doors must never be blocked open.  Door closers and spring hinges must function properly and the closing cycle must not be inhibited by carpet, door mats, etc.
  2. When the door comes to a close, does it latch reliably?  Fire doors must be closed and latched during a fire to withstand pressures from the fire and water pressure from firefighting equipment.  The door must close with enough force to ensure that the hardware will latch in the closed position.
  3. Are there any open holes in the fire door or frame where hardware has been removed?  Any open holes will allow smoke to spread and will affect the performance of the door.  There are detailed requirements for filling holes in fire door assemblies, as well as for preparing fire doors for new hardware.
  4. Are all components installed as part of the fire door assembly listed to UL 10C?  For example, mail slots installed in fire doors may allow smoke to spread and coat hooks may increase the fuel load and affect the door’s performance.  Listed and labeled components must be used to ensure that the assembly will perform properly.
  5. Clearances around fire doors are limited by NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.  Generally, these gaps must be no more than 1/8- or 3/16-inch (depending on the door material and rating) at the top of the door and the vertical edges, with a limit of 3/4-inch at the bottom of the door.

The annual inspection requirements for fire door assemblies are more detailed, and can be found on iDigHardware’s Fire Door Assemblies page.  Laminated cards addressing this topic are available as a handy reference, and Allegion’s Code Reference Guide covers all of the code requirements related to door openings.

Allegion Code Experts (ACEs) are available in each US state and internationally, to help answer questions about code requirements and available solutions.  The list of ACEs is available here, and you can explore Allegion’s multifamily solutions on this page.

Finally, I’d like to share two great resources from the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI):