Opening Force for Sliding Doors

[LGreene]

This question is related to interior sliding doors, like a closet or office door. Some sliding door hardware is now incorporating a "soft close" mechanism, which catches the door a few inches from closed and closes it softly. Here's a video...the beginning is about installation but at about 55 seconds you can see how it works: Richelieu Hardware - Hardware set for sliding door with soft close - YouTube

The ADA requires sliding doors to open with 5 pounds of force. But there is an advisory that says that this does not apply to the initial force needed to overcome the inertia of the door. Here's the section from the latest ADA guidelines:

404.2.9 Door and Gate Opening Force. Fire doors shall have a minimum opening force allowable

by the appropriate administrative authority. The force for pushing or pulling open a door or gate

other than fire doors shall be as follows:

1. Interior hinged doors and gates: 5 pounds (22.2 N) maximum.

2. Sliding or folding doors: 5 pounds (22.2 N) maximum.

These forces do not apply to the force required to retract latch bolts or disengage other devices that

hold the door or gate in a closed position.

Advisory 404.2.9 Door and Gate Opening Force. The maximum force pertains to the

continuous application of force necessary to fully open a door, not the initial force needed to

overcome the inertia of the door. It does not apply to the force required to retract bolts or to

disengage other devices used to keep the door in a closed position.

The question is, could sliding doors be measured similar to swinging doors...open the door a few inches and then measure the force that's required? Would that meet the intent, in your opinion?

 

[Builder Bob]

I would think that perhaps the old 15 pound force to unlock a door latching hardware may be applicable with 5 pounds being required to open the door once the unlocking action is achieved.......

 

[RJJ]

I beleive it is to be 5lbs. I suppose you could read between the lines. It depends on if you want to pass or fail the door.

 

[Markl_AHC]

That logic follows the same testing/inspection principles outlined for power-operated sliding doors under A156.10 - admittedly a completely different beast with very different forces/timing requirements - but does establish a precedent regarding sliding doors. Follows similar methods for swinging doors as you've mentioned. With this type of sliding door mechanism the operating pulls/locking hardware would require more attention regarding ADA operation. Some of the acceptable barrier-free pulls might not allow for a higher initial opening force to be effectively applied to a sliding door even though the hardware complies with requirements... However, as a starting point I would agree with BB regarding the unlatching force. Only question then becomes if there is an allowance for maximum force to set the door in motion (your first few inches comment) since it is a different motion than for a swinging door.