Garage Fire Door Code

The current state fire code went into effect on january 1 2018.

Garage fire door code.

For instance there are fire rated doors that have a 20 minute several hours rating and they can be selected to meet fire department code requirements for residential spaces check your condo or townhouse local building codes for any requirements of fire rated entry or house to garage doors. The door cannot open directly onto a room used for sleeping purposes bedroom and must be one of the following types. If the door is not solid wood or steel honeycomb and at least 1 3 8 thick then it must have a 20 minute fire rating. It s code in most areas that the entry door to an attached garage be fire rated and have self closing hinges.

So for all these reasons the international residential code irc and residential edition of the florida building code fbc r302 5 have safety standards for a door that separates the garage from the house interior. It is not likely that any raised panel 1 3 8 door will ever have such a rating or qualify for proper garage house fire separation. This section of the code outlines the garage home separation door requirements. 20 minute fire.

Solid or honeycome core steel door not less than 1 3 8 inches thick. Other openings between the garage and the residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1 3 8 35 mm in thickness solid or honeycomb core steel doors not less than 1 3 8 35 mm thick or 20 minute fire rated doors. 6 panel primed 20 minute fire rated steel prehung right hand inswing front door with brickmould. But don t worry making this door self closing is as simple as changing two or three of the door s hinges or installing a door closer at the top of the door.

Ducts running through the garage must be made of no. The international residential code irc requires a self closing device on this door but we have no such requirement here in minnesota. The international residential code table is similar. By the way cutting a hole in the door to install a pet door flap voids the 20 minute rating.

To view the code free of charge. The reason the inspector wants to see the tag is because then they know it is a 20 minute fire rated door and meets one of the choices for type of door for garage house fire separation. 3 panel craftsman primed steel prehung right hand inswing front door. Premium 6 panel primed white steel prehung front door with 30 in.

Door to house this is the only place where any fire rating is specified. Right hand outswing and 4 in. Any one of the following types of doors provided between the garage and house shall satisfy the requirements of section r302 5 1. We used to but we ve since amended that requirement out of our code.

The purpose is to keep a garage fire from spreading to the house.