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garage pedestrian door

12/23/2021

 
​Safety and appearance are likely the two things that most people consider when choosing an exterior door. Protection from intruders is important and everyone wants the best-looking door in the neighborhood, but many people don’t realize that the door separating the house and an attached garage should also be of exterior grade. The reason for this is not only to protect against the outside temperatures and intruders, but also the risk of fire entering the home from the garage. The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) states that about 3% of structure fires start in an attached garage. It is important to note that even though the percentage is low, garage fires tend to be very hot and can spread very quickly to the house if not detected early.
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​The International Residential Code (IRC) requires that the door separating the garage to the home must be 20-minute fire-rated. This means that the door has successfully passed a test in which it has been subjected to fire, without the use of a hose stream, for 20 minutes without the fire breaching through to the other side.
One of the most common deficiencies found in fire rated doors are “Doggie Doors”. These openings are very convenient for pet owners, but any opening in a fire rated door voids its fire rating. Several manufacturers advertise a fire safe door but if air can pass through the opening, so can fire. The other factor to consider is that any window in the door must be constructed with glass that is also fire rated to retain the overall door’s fire rating.

Do you have a question or concern about the fire rating of your garage door or wall between your garage and the interior?  Contact a CAI Home Inspector to speak with a licensed home inspector that can help guide you on best practices and repairs.
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Garage Dog Door May Void Fire Rating

Double keyed locks on exterior doors

9/13/2021

 
Every so often, we encounter a hidden safety hazard that many homeowners might not think about - double keyed deadbolt locks.  These locks require a key on the exterior and interior of the home.  Many times, these keyed deadbolt locks are installed on the interior side to enhance security so that the window or sidelight in the door cannot simply be broken and the interior lock opened by hand.  While enhanced security may have been achieved, this was at the detriment of safety to the occupants who now must have possession of the key to exit the door in an emergency.

​We often see homeowners leave the key inside the lock or nearby on a key hook; however, the key can be unknowingly removed by a member of the family or the key may not be readily located on a nearby hook by children or guests trying to escape during an emergency.  For these reasons, we recommend the double keyed locks be replaced and modifications to the door be made to eliminate the need for the double keyed lock (i.e. removal of windows adjacent to the lock, security bars over the windows, etc).

It is worth noting that updates to building codes nationwide now ban the practice of using double keyed locks in new construction.
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Excerpt from the Ohio Residential Building Code

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Our Primary Office Locations in Ohio & North Carolina


Raleigh, NC
3052 Cinder Bluff Dr
Raleigh, NC 27603
​984-261-2787

Cleveland, Ohio
16115 Waterloo Rd
​Cleveland, OH 44110
216-672-6185
Dublin, Ohio (main)
6214 Inishmore Ln
Dublin, Ohio 43017
​614-364-3829

Dayton, Ohio
60 Camden Park Ct
Springboro, OH 45066
​937-396-5239
Cincinnati, Ohio
5605 Bridgetown Rd #10
Cincinnati, OH 45248
​513-306-4640

Toledo, Ohio
478 Dearborn Ave.
Toledo, Ohio 43605
419-329-4623

Ohio Service Areas

CINCINNATI
BLUE ASH
HAMILTON
LEBANON
LOVELAND
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MIDDLETOWN
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WEST CARROLLTON
Toledo
​BOWLING GREEN
​
HOLLAND
​
MAUMEE
​
PERRYSBURG
SWANTON
SYLVANIA
WATERVILLE

North Carolina Service Areas​

Raleigh
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Fuquay-Varina
Angier
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Smithfield
Clayton
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Contact us at: 888-301-3186
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  • Home
  • Services
    • Full Home Inspection
    • Additional Inspections >
      • Termite Inspection
      • Radon Testing
      • Mold Testing
      • Thermal Imaging
      • Sewer Scope Inspection
      • Foundation Certification
    • Areas Served >
      • Ohio >
        • Columbus, OH >
          • Circleville, OH
          • Clintonville, OH
          • Delaware, OH
          • Dublin, OH
          • Gahanna, OH
          • Grandview Heights, OH
          • Grove City, OH
          • Lancaster, OH
          • Marysville, OH
          • Lewis Center, OH
          • New Albany, OH
          • Pataskala, OH
          • Pickerington, OH
          • Plain City, OH
          • Powell, OH
          • Reynoldsburg, OH
          • Worthington, OH
          • Zanesville, OH
        • Cleveland, OH >
          • Bay Village, OH
          • Beachwood, OH
          • Bedford Heights, OH
          • Brooklyn, OH
          • Chagrin Falls, OH
          • Euclid, OH
          • Highland Heights, OH
          • Independence, OH
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          • North Olmstead, OH
          • Parma, OH
          • Rome, OH
          • Shaker Heights, OH
          • Solon, OH
          • Strongsville, OH
          • Westlake, OH
        • Toledo, OH >
          • Bowling Green, OH
          • Holland, OH
          • Maumee, OH
          • Perrysburg, OH
          • Swanton, OH
          • Sylvania, OH
          • Waterville, OH
        • Cincinnati, OH >
          • Blue Ash, OH
          • Hamilton, OH
          • Loveland, OH
          • Lebanon, OH
          • Mason, OH
          • Middletown, OH
          • Wyoming, OH
        • Dayton, OH >
          • Beavercreek, OH
          • Centerville, OH
          • Fairborn, OH
          • Huber Heights, OH
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  • About
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