Thread: Fire Rated Door

I have been recommending to my clients installation of a "Fire Rated" or a solid core door from the interior to the garage for years. My question is: What's the difference between the two, if any? Also, do any of you write it up as a repair on your report? Any input is appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Michael Farha

I have been recommending to my clients installation of a "Fire Rated" or a solid core door from the interior to the garage for years. My question is: What's the difference between the two, if any? Also, do any of you write it up as a repair on your report? Any input is appreciated.

A "Fire Rated" door will have a sticker or label on it that states that it is a "Fire Rated" door. Needs to be rated for 20 min burn through.

A solid core door, is well a solid core door. Needs to be 1 3/8" solid core.

Hi Michael,

You are missing one type of allowable door (per 2006 IRC)-- look up R309.1 (you can use a steel door not less than 1 3/8" that is not fire rated as well as the solid wood door and fire rated door)

One problem you are missing, and misleading your client on, with recommending a "Fire Rated" door is that a "Fire Rated" door will require specific jambs, threshold, weather stripping, etc., in the fire rating, and if not installed that way (i.e., the fire rated door is installed in a regular jamb) then there is no "fire rating" of that door.

To answer your question though, the fire rated door has been tested, listed and labeled (along with jambs, threshold, hardware, etc.) for that purpose and the other choices are simply accepted because they have been used in that location so long that they 'have proven to be acceptable' for that purpose.