Security Bars over main entry door.

[nealderidder]

This is in CA, in a not so great neighborhood where the owner wants to have security bars over his entry door to deter break-ins. His neighbor has an accordion security grille, he has a sliding security grille (see attached). FD is telling him swinging door has to go but the accordion would be OK.

I'm assuming this is because of 1010.1.4.5 (2019 CFC) which allows specifically horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles and doesn't mention swinging grilles. Would you agree or is there more to this than that?

Second question - in this situation what makes the sliding accordion door safer than the swinging security door? Why were sliding vertical and horizontal doors singled out as the only allowed option? Maybe because it is a more deliberate act to open a sliding security screen? It wouldn't get closed by "accident"?

The FD also noted that the swinging security door represents two doors in a series and there isn't enough room between them which just seems silly but it's not wrong...

Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[e hilton]

The FD also noted that the swinging security door represents two doors in a series and there isn't enough room between them which just seems silly but it's not wrong...

So my all-glass swinging storm door on the front of my house is two doors in series?

 

[TheCommish]

If the business is unoccupied I see no reason to prohibit any type of securety grill or roll down closure

 

[nealderidder]

So my all-glass swinging storm door on the front of my house is two doors in series?

Ha! You're off the hook, there is an exception for residential.

 

[nealderidder]

If the business is unoccupied I see no reason to prohibit any type of securety grill or roll down closure

Agreed. But there must be a reason the code specifies sliding in particular...

 

[tmurray]

Is the security door fixed open when the building is open?

 

[nealderidder]

Is the security door fixed open when the building is open?

Good question, It doesn't appear to in the photos I have. Might be what triggered the FD, sort of implies it's going to be closed all the time rather than just hanging open, banging against the wall. I'm going to suggest the owner try to negotiate and propose that a mechanism be put in place to hold the door in an open position and a sign affixed to it saying "THIS DOOR TO REMAIN OPEN WHEN BUILDING IS OCCUPIED"