Fire rated door

[CanoeBoy]

I need to replace the door leading into the house from the attached garage.  The garage is where I play "Woodworker Hobby Dude".  Wondering if I should use a "fire rated" door.  If so, is there any reasonable difference between 20 and 90 minute rated doors, or what would be a better choice for keeping the cold out.  Looking at Menards which has Mastercraft, and Home Depot which has the  Jeld-Wen.  Any difference is quality for an equal price, or is a cheap door a cheap door.

Thanks,

Mike

[JGrout]

A 20 minute fire rated door is required by code for a garage to residence so that is more than adequate for your needs

Pick the door on price the rest is in essence going to be the same (ie smoke seals sills door bottoms and fire tag)  

Joe

[woodhead]

90 minute doors are commercial. Your garage to the house door should also be self closing (spring hinges or homeowner closer) for code...if you care.



Al

[Bob10]

What both of them said together is all you need.  Although I find the spring closing hinges annoying as hell when moving stuff in or out.  I find a cinder block or something of equal mass helps to keep them from closing when I need the door open

[daveferg]

Totally agree with Bob 10. I have self-closing hinges, but if the garage door is open, there's enough breeze so the door doesn't close properly. As far as the length of the rating, take a look at your exit path ways to see if you might need longer protection.

[KC]

90 minute doors are commercial. Your garage to the house door should also be self closing (spring hinges or homeowner closer) for code...if you care.



Al

Mine has those on it, but they don't close the door.  And I can't get the darn door off to try to fix it.  Found what I think were the proper instructions on the web and still can't get it down.  


That said, it doesn't bother me that the self closing feature's not working, but the person carpenters did a very poor job hanging the door and I'd like to correct it with minimal destruction.

[MikeBob]

Mine has those on it, but they don't close the door.  And I can't get the darn door off to try to fix it.  Found what I think were the proper instructions on the web and still can't get it down.  


That said, it doesn't bother me that the self closing feature's not working, but the person carpenters did a very poor job hanging the door and I'd like to correct it with minimal destruction.

Figure out where the door is out of square with the frame. Pop the hing pins and take off the door. Plane/sand to adjust. If you cant pop the hinge pins un screw the hinges to take off the door. I mean it is that simple!!!
First check the hinge screws are tight both on the door and frame side. I maybe just that simple.

[tomsteve]

might want to see what your insurance provider says.

[MikeBob]

Best bet is call your municipality building inspector, he/she will let you know what is code on burn time and closing devices.
True experience, I was on my communities volunteer/paid Fire Dept. We had a record 3 minute response time to the fire station. This house was less then a 1/2 mile from the Fire Station.
About a 1M$ at that time, mid 80s, beautiful May day, warm with a strong SW wind, 2 story Colonial with an attached garage, wife has the windows open in the house to "air it out", goes to cut the grass with the riding tractor mower, Garage over head door open, facing SW. Drives the thing into the garage, it starts on fire, runs in to grab the 2.5lb Fire Extinguisher from the kitchen BUT the door from the house to the garage DID NOT have a closure device on it. It was left open. It was like a forge, she could not go back to the garage, she grabbed the cordless phone called 911 from the front yard, we got there in 4 minutes to basically do a basement clean up.
"A" if the service door was self closing it would have just been a garage fire/loss.
"B" hit the close over head door button by the service door and left that open it would have been a lost garage and some smoke damage to the house.
Its your call, Cheaper aint better!!!

[Wizard of Oz]

Menards which has Mastercraft, and Home Depot which has the Jeld-Wen.

My wife makes doors where she works. She said Jeld-Wen are better than Mastercraft.