Fire Doors: What you need to know

Fire doors are doors that are constructed to withstand heat and pressure during a fire and effectively seal off parts of your residence to slow down the spread of a fire. Fire doors are rated as to how long they have been shown to withstand a fire during testing (20/45/60/90/180-minutes). Our stock 90-minute fire doors have a special core, steel door edge and steel frame.

Should fire doors be kept closed?
Fire doors only work at blocking fire and smoke if they are closed; an open fire door is like having no door at all.

When are fire doors required?
It depends on your local building codes, but in residential projects, fire doors are typically required between the garage and main residence, entrances between floors (such as basement doors), and any entryways that divide occupancies (apartments/multi-family).

Are fire doors solid?
Our stock 90-minute fire doors have a solid polyurethane core. Commercial projects often use hollow metal doors to reach a 180-minute label.

Are fire doors soundproof?
Fire doors are not built to be soundproof, although the solid core and proper installation will limit sound transfer.

Can you paint fire doors?
Yes you can paint fire doors (although the fire label should be readable if your installation requires an inspection).

How are fire doors made?
Our stock 90-minute steel fire doors have a polyurethane core, steel edge, and steel frame to withstand heat during a fire.

Can fire doors have glass?
Fire doors can be built in a variety of styles, including glass lites, but there are limits to the size of the lites depending on the fire rating.

Can fire doors be cut?
At Remodelers Outlet, our Custom Shop can cut up to 4 inches off the bottom of our stock 90-minute fire doors. Please note that because doors are pre-hung and bored for hardware, the placement of hardware and hinges will be lower to the ground than a standard size door.

Shop our stock Fire Doors