Requirements for Residential Fire Doors

In residential units such as apartments and condominiums, fire doors must meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements as well as residential codes. This is because those types of residences are also workplaces for superintendents and others.

Purpose

• Fire doors and other fire barriers are meant to interrupt the spread of smoke and toxic gasses. Fire doors are generally rated in terms of the amount of time they can withstand a certain temperature.

Where

• Fire doors are required when a door has an exit sign on or near it and when a door opens into a stairwell or horizontal exit. Fire doors are also needed when the door leads to a hazardous area such as flammable storage.

Self Closing

• Fire doors must be self closing. They must self close and seal after being used and must not be propped open, with the exception of doors that have a auto-closing device connected to a fire alarm.