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Plexiglass in entry door sidelight?

heartofglass

Bronze Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
34
Location
Smalltownville, CA
We were told we needed tempered glass in the sidelight of our bar's entry door, but we found a door we would really like to use which has decorative plexiglass in the sidelight instead. Is tempered glass the ONLY option for a sidelight? I thought the requirement had to do with not breaking into large glass shards that could hurt someone, so it SEEMS like plexiglass should also fit the bill. However, I couldn't find any mention specifically of "plexiglass" in california code for commercial entry doors. Please help!?
 
(I know, plexiglass gets scratched easily so it's not ideal and blah blah blah, but it's a pretty small piece of glass next to the door and has a nice pattern on it, and we're on a budget so anything we CAN leave as it is, we really need to).
 
The code requires safety glazing, not tempered glass. While tempered glass is a type of safety glazing, there are other types of glazing that also satisfy the requirement. If the plexi is labeled as conforming to ANSI Z97.1 you are good to go.

Tim
 
Paul Sweet said:
ANSI Z97.1 is the old standard. IBC 2406 requires safety glazing to meet CPSC 16 CFR 1201.
You are correct. Although it does have to meet Z97.1 too :)

Tim
 
Energy code? Meaning the amount of cold air it can let in? This is a very mild climate and the energy code wasn't brought up, but isn't there a number of things that can be done to weather-proof an entryway if needed, similar to what was done with my victorian house? Also, this is a class B occupancy if that matters, less than 1000 sq ft.
 
Maybe I should mention, this exterior door is replacing what is now a gigantic window extending down to 10" above the floor, which we felt was unsafe. It was an exterior wood door at some point in the past but was replaced by this monstrous window by a previous tenant. So, we are replacing the original entry to the space with a solid wood door instead of the floor to ceiling window (design review approved this). We were told that we could use a solid core wood door, which we were thrilled about because we are trying to re-use and recycle existing architectural items wherever possible to keep with the city's green initiatives. (There is also an unfortunately frequent tradition of businesses getting rocks thrown through their glass doors in this town -- our sidelight in question is not located where someone could break it and reach in to unlock the door, as they did at the business next door recently).

And now aside from the little plexiglass sidelight, my partner says the inspector doesn't like our chosen door because the wood trim is "usually flat," and ours is rounded with carvings in it. I can't see anything about wood trim on doors needing to be flat? I'm a little confused. We told him the bottom 10" of the door will have a flat kickplate per ADA code. And the trim does not stick out more than 4" so it is not a protrusion. I know that our door is slightly unusual looking but that seems more like something for design review? Am I missing something here? I know it's not a standard grey fiberglass door, but was not expecting these little things to be a problem since we were told a wood door would be ok. Our architect is also surprised by this.
 
Heart:

In California we have to do what's called a Title 24 analysis, some architects try to do them themselves but I always hire a Title 24 consultant, it only costs about $200 on a new home. They can do trade-offs so higher U-factor in the sildelights is compensated for by lower U-factors or more commonly higher R-values in insulation somewhere else. Since you are in a small town there may not be a licensed Title 24 consultant, if you can't locate one contact me and I'll give you my guy's name, he will either know of someone near you or maybe he will do it for you, he's doing a couple for me right now. Plexiglass is fine for safety glass, and the carved casing is absurd.
 
Paul Sweet said:
ANSI Z97.1 is the old standard. IBC 2406 requires safety glazing to meet CPSC 16 CFR 1201.
2406.2 Impact test.

Where required by other sections of this code, glazing shall be tested in accordance with CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201. Glazing shall comply with the test criteria for Category II, unless otherwise indicated in Table 2406.2(1).

Exception: Glazing not in doors or enclosures for hot tubs, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs and showers shall be permitted to be tested in accordance with ANSI Z97.1. Glazing shall comply with the test criteria for Class A, unless otherwise indicated in Table 2406.2(2).
 
If the product description fits the bill of what is required, then go for it. But is the door recent or old? Because if it is an old door, then it might not be still par to the regulation standard. Just keep it in mind since we have an incident near our storage facility and the owner scrimped on the materials and yet it paid high liability when there was an accident at the bar and it was proven to be the bar owner's fault.
 
I don't think I'd be diverting this thread too much if I asked someone with access to a code commentary to define decorative glass. Glazing in a door must be safety glazing unless it is less that 3" wide or unless it is decorative glazing. I'm surprised this hasn't been hashed over before. I did a search of this forum and found nothing. If a customer wanted me to install their 22" by 24" stained glass art work into their door or sidelight would it be exempt form the safety glazing requirement? Is a piece of hand painted annealed glass decorative? What would the code say to a piece of annealed art glass between two pieces of tempered glass? If anyone knows of a defensible base line, I'd like to hear it.

Thank You

Bill
 
Last edited by a moderator:
2012 IBC

DECORATIVE GLASS. A carved, leaded or Dalle glass or glazing material whose purpose is decorative or artistic, not functional; whose coloring, texture or other design qualities or components cannot be removed without destroying the glazing material and whose surface, or assembly into which it is incorporated, is divided into segments.
 
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