• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

R302.5.1 Fire Door/Garage

Cbhillwood

Registered User
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
2
Location
Charleston, WV
We are moving out of our home, and as part of the relocation process, we had to undergo an inspection. It was determined that the door to our garage doesn’t meet code (R302.5.1). We were told that if we can determine when this code was implemented, it may not be applicable to our house (older home). I’ve scoured the internet, but can’t find when this code was adopted, either at the ICC level or state (WV) level. Can anyone help point us to where we can figure out when this code was adopted?

Many thanks!
 
Welcome

Not into WV Code

Are you in a bigger city??

Or out in a non city

If bigger city, ask the city for / open records a timeline of what building code and residential code was adopted which years. Than you have to research each of those


Or call the head building official and ask him the question


So first thing what year was the house built??


Or what is the problem with buying a door??? Or is there more to it???
 
Not sure how real estate works in WV, But some of those home inspections are “Nice to Haves”

They really do not hold up a deal, if not done.

Or reduce your price say $ 250, and politely say buy your own door
 
Thank you. I’m in Charleston, WV. It would be easy enough to buy the door, but they’re out of stock everywhere right now.

We’ve contacted the city engineer, but he can’t find the date.

Also, it’s not the buyer who requires it, but our relocation team, so we can’t just knock money off, unfortunately. We have to fix it (which will take quite some time given no doors available currently), or show that the code was adopted after our house was built (1975).
 
How soon do you have to close?

Do an open records request to the city, for both building and residential code

What they were

And year.

Most cities have ten days to reply


Is it as simple as changing the door out????

What is the width??

What is there now?????
 
I cannot find a link to WV codes

But is it the same wording as this ::;


R302.5.1 Opening Protection

Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device.
 
Since it was in the most common residential code used in the eastern half of the United States in 1979 and no black bar beside the language that means it said the same thing in 1976. I can't believe you cannot find a solid minimum 1-3/8 inch thick door in West Virginia.

1979 CABO Code

BUILDING PLANNING
Section R-210 - Private Garages
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping
purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage
and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than one
and three eighths (1-3/8) inches in thickness or equivalent.
The garage shall be completely separated from the residence and its
attic area by means of one-half (112) inch gypsum board or equivalent applied
to the garage side.
Garage and carport floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible
material.
Section R-211 - Exits
Not less than one exit conforming to this Chapter shall be provided from
each dwelling unit.
Every sleeping room shall have at least one operable window or exterior
door approved for emergency egress or rescue. The units must be operable
from the inside to a full clear opening without the use of separate tools.
Where windows are provided as a means of egress or rescue they shall have
a sill height of not more than forty-four (44) inches above the floor.
All egress or rescue windows from sleeping rooms must have a minimum
net clear opening of five and seventenths (5.7) square feet. The minimum
net clear opening height dimension shall be twenty four (24) inches. The
minimum net clear opening width dimension shall be twenty (20) inches.
 
We are moving out of our home, and as part of the relocation process, we had to undergo an inspection. It was determined that the door to our garage doesn’t meet code (R302.5.1). We were told that if we can determine when this code was implemented, it may not be applicable to our house (older home). I’ve scoured the internet, but can’t find when this code was adopted, either at the ICC level or state (WV) level. Can anyone help point us to where we can figure out when this code was adopted?

Many thanks!



What is there now?????

If you can take a couple of pictures

Convert them to a link

Post the links
 
What exactly does your "inspector" say is wrong with the current door?

The IRC was first published 1/1/2000 and the section would have been R309.1. Prior to that date, most likely would have been (BOCA) one of the legacy codes, if any.

Requirement moved from R309.1 to R302.5.1 in 2006.

Requirement for self-closing device added in 2012.

R102.7 Existing structures.
The legal occupancy of any structure existing on the date of adoption of this code shall be permitted to continue without change, except as is
specifically covered in this code, the International Property Maintenance Code or the International Fire Code, or as is deemed necessary by the
building official for the general safety and welfare of the occupants and the public.
 
In some AHJ's relocation of a home triggers them to meet the same as new. A simple 20 minute door shouldn't be that hard to find at any good hardware or lumber store.
 
He says "everyone" is out of stock, so order it out of state and have it shipped rush, if you "must" have it.
 
In 1972, BOCA, SBCCI, and ICBO created the Council of American Building Officials (CABO) which published CABO's One and Two Family Dwelling Code. I doubt your jurisdiction adopted it since few did. I have had some luck finding old city codes at the local library.
 
Be aware that none of the garage to house doors are fire rated even when the door panel is required to be rated since the frame and hardware is not required to be rated. It should be a simple thing to replace the door panel with one listed in the current code and add an automatic closer if required.
 
In some AHJ's relocation of a home triggers them to meet the same as new. A simple 20 minute door shouldn't be that hard to find at any good hardware or lumber store.

Found out it is hard to find

Trying to find a 32x80 plain slab solid wood door only

Will keep looking
 
The 1970 BOCA code section 414.11 requires a door panel that with a 3/4 hour fire resistance rating or a 1 3/4" solid core wood door with no closer required. That might not be the applicable code but no other code would have been more restrictive and the 1972 CABO code would have been the same since this requirement is unchanged in later CABO codes.

All you should need to do is hire a carpenter to install a solid core wood door (20 min equivalent). If the code history is not convincing add the closer. I'm surprised a door from that era isn't solid core wood or metal clad.

Wish I knew how to edit comments.
 
Top