Condo Fire Doors

[Mike Lamb]

Can doors leading from condos to common halls (large new condo conversion) be hollow core. Does anyone have a reference? The door frame is metal and is labeled as, "This frame is fire-rated, etc," but the door is a cheesy hollow core Masonite.

I have a reference that states that doors leading to common stairways in multi-units need to be fire rated but not from unit to common hall.

[Darren]

Mike;

It all depends on construction type & ratings.

Ie....

Is the corridor fire-rated?

Is the corridor fully sprinklered?

If you want the real answer, contact the building department for official construction type & rating.

Darren

www.aboutthehouseinspections.com

[kurt]

Originally posted by Darren

Mike;

It all depends on construction type & ratings.

Ie....

Is the corridor fire-rated?

Is the corridor fully sprinklered?

If you want the real answer, contact the building department for official construction type & rating.

Darren

www.aboutthehouseinspections.com

Excellent points. The problem is Mike & I work in Chicago, and contacting the buildings dept. means going to City Hall which is often the vortex of no return. One might turn up the answer in 6 minutes or 6 months.

[Mike Lamb]

I went to the library and looked over the 2006 Chicago Building Code Fire-Resistive Requirements and could find no mention of fire rated door requirements between residential dwelling and public halls. (It is required in business, mercantile and storage buildings) All new and existing residential buildings exceeding 4 stories require self-closing doors, though. Who would have thunk?

[BADAIR]

I'd explain in the report and bring it to the client's attention, then let them take the trip to the "Dark Side of the vortex of no return."

Common sense plays a role at some point. I would think all main means of egress would be solid core, at the least, and rated the same as the jamb, at the most.

I don't think the jamb would deform from fire/heat and impede egress before the hollow core unit vaporized, but I may be wrong.