​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.

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.

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.