# Self closing doors between house and garage?



## Toller (Jan 2, 2013)

Someone told me that code requires a self closing door between the house and the garage.
I have two spring loaded hinges there, but apparently the hinges are not loaded and don't do anything.

So, is that a code requirement?
If so, do they have to be loaded?
And if so, can I leave them the way they are and load them when I sell the house?

I bought the house 2 years ago, and no one seems to have noticed the problem then.

In 30 years of home ownership I am pretty sure I have never failed to close the garage door; the odds of the first time being the same time as a garage fire are rather too high to worry about. On the other hand, I frequently need both hands to carry stuff in.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

Need a self closing fire rated door between house and attached garage. Should be flagged on resale or major permitted / inspected improvements to either area. Your house do what you want.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

You can always check with the AHJ.

In my subdivision, the homes were built before the self-closing fire rated door requirement was adopted. In our area, the doors (non fire rated) are considered to be grandfathered.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

I agree, check locally. The self-closer clause was dropped for the* 2003 IRC,* I believe. Depends on local amendments to the code.... 

Gary


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

To add to Gary's post. Too many hands and fingers were getting pinched when the door closed. That is why it is no longer required.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

No one knows where you are since there's no location in your profile.
Never heard of such a thing in residential building.
Fire rated door yes, self closing no.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

Around here in northeast Ohio it was code when I was building house in the 90's and early 2000's. Not sure now but whenever I replace that particular door, I still order them with self closing hinges. Never pinched my fingers in them. Not that big a deal to get used to. And when you are ordering the doors from a real lumberyard, the s/c hinges don't cost that much.
Mike Hawkins


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

It is a good idea, easy to understand. Not only do you need a fire door, but it needs to be closed. And it doesn't need to be closed just because of a fire, it needs to keep exhaust fumes out of the house as well.

I saw the aftermath of a fire in an attached garage without sheetrock on the attic portion of the party wall, and the people who were in the house just had time to stand up and run out of the house.

If you don't like the idea of a self-closing door or a fire wall, then have a detached garage and you can burn it down as often as you like.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

joecaption said:


> No one knows where you are since there's no location in your profile. Never heard of such a thing in residential building.
> Fire rated door yes, self closing no.


Really common during the early Millennium.

The hospital my mother was in. Which is the one that my wife & I always end up for surgeries. They have removed the hydraulic closer's from all of the rooms. Too many pinched & injured hands & fingers.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

gregzoll said:


> Really common during the early Millennium.
> 
> The hospital my mother was in. Which is the one that my wife & I always end up for surgeries. They have removed the hydraulic closer's from all of the rooms. Too many pinched & injured hands & fingers.


I say leave them in, Darwin's theory at work.:laughing:
Mike Hawkins


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Not when you do not want to pay the Medical bills Mike.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> I saw the aftermath of a fire in an attached garage without sheetrock on the attic portion of the party wall, and the people who were in the house just had time to stand up and run out of the house.


Not having *a complete fire wall* and the issue of a fire rated door in that wall are two different issues. If you live in a town/city with a decent fire dept response time, the fire isn't going to burn thru a solid wood door before the FD gets the there. Probably won't burn thru a hollow core one either.

Living in a rural area with longer response times ups the desirability of the fire rated door.


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## TheEplumber (Jul 20, 2010)

Still a requirement in my area
IMO pointless if the firewall does no exist.

Most smart people don't do it without opening the garage door but I would think a fair amount of exhaust fumes could enter a home as well....


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

It certainly depends on what code was in force at the time of construction. If it has spring hinges, then they were probably required. Wind them up to put tension on them however you see fit.


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