Question: I’m installing a thin metal bar under the entrance door of my Strata Unit to reduce the gap between the door bottom and the floor. Will this comply with the apartment fire door regulations in NSW for a Strata Unit?
Answer: The owners may consider some sort of tested fire door seal as an alternative.
Being there is little context to this, we’ve chosen to answer based on Australian Standard for Fire Doors (simplified description): AS1905.1-2005 – specifically clause 5.5.2 – excerpt below.
If the gap between the bottom of the door and the concrete under the carpet does not exceed 25mm; it is possible that a metal bar affixing the carpet to the floor will reduce the gap. The maximum gap between the metal bar and bottom of the door is generally 10mm or less.
FYI – Being that a metal strip could cause a trip hazard if being used for the purposes of reducing this gap, the owners may consider some sort of tested fire door seal as an alternative.
Note: there are many possible variances to the above as some fire doors are type-tested & approved with alternate dimensions to those in the standard.
5.5.2 Sill and floor finish
Clearances between the bottom of all door leafs and the floor shall be as follows (see Figures 1.4.1 and 5.5.2):
- Between the leaf and the top of any floor covering—not less than 3 mm and not more than 10 mm.
- Between the leaf and the top of the non-combustible sill—
- not more than 10 mm where there is no combustible floor covering; and
- not more than 25 mm where there is a combustible floor covering present.
NOTE: When the installed doorset is inspected for compliance with Item (ii), the clearance should not exceed 25 mm for the purpose of certification unless an appropriate note is made in the evidence of compliance (see Clause 6.3).
C5.5.2 In essence the maximum gap between the bottom of the door leaf and the adjacent floor covering is 10 mm. The 25 mm dimension is provided to limit the thickness of carpets and underlays to a maximum thickness of 15 mm in total. The intention of this Standard is to not allow a 25 mm gap under a door unless carpet is in the process of being installed. This is a temporary measure allowing for certification of the doorset, provided that a note is put in the evidence of compliance schedule and is checked at the first maintenance inspection regime.
This post appears in the May 2021 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Rob Broadhead 2020 Fire Protection E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au P: 1300 340 210