Is a door closer required on a fire rated door?

Question

If there is a fire rated door & frame installed in a non-fire rated wall does the door require a closer and if it doesn't is it referenced any where in the life safety codes?

Answer 1

The "short answer" is yes.

Here's why: One of the requirements of a fire rated opening is the door must be self closing. If the door is left open during a fire, then that opening cannot retard the fire as it was meant to do. So the door must close by itself after somebody passes through it...causing the need for a door closer.  

Thanks for your question!

Steve Behrens

steve@commdoor.com

Comments

I agree with what you say but, even if the door is in a non-fire rated wall? Further explanation: A door, that was fire rated, was installed into an opening in a wall for privacy.

Found the following on your site.

There are some basic requirements for an opening before it can be classified as fire rated:

The wall, frame, and door all have to be fire rated.

Thanks for the quick reply.

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Thanks for your comment.

The wall, frame, and door all have to be fire rated if the opening is meant to retard a fire. Some doors having a fire label are meant for smoke control.

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code book. Section 12-3.6.2 states (in part): "Corridor walls shall form a barrier to limit the transfer of smoke. No fire resistance rating is required for corridor walls."

Yet these doors would have a fire label (for smoke control). So a door and frame can have a fire label without the wall being fire rated IF the opening is rated for smoke control. So it goes back to the fact that if the door were to be left open...it would not stop any smoke, therefore requiring a door closer as this opening will only stop the smoke if the door is closed.

Any building inspector will see the fire label on the door and immediately look for (and demand) a door closer.

Thanks again for your input!

Steve Behrens