Glass Entry Doors

[phil327]

The association has replaced the front and rear doors in the building lobby. The original setup was a single door with sidelights that opened, basically a single hung window on either side of the door. These widows were operational and were open, they did have a security grill on the inside. The lobby has a door for a stairwell that automatically closes. There is an elevator and a door for the meter room.

The replacement doors have a sidelights, but they are a solid glass sheet. There is no ventilation to the outside, no exhaust fan. I thought that any room, used by people, has to have some kind of ventilation.

Does this setup meet code? We are in Broward County Florida

( an easy question this time )

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

They might meet code ...

The natural ventilation requirements may have met code through mechanical ventilation at the time the buildings were built as an option to natural ventilation.

The main thing is that EACH door needs to be large enough to still meet the egress width requirements, must meet the safety glass requirements, must meet the wind load and impact requirements for the building - too much information has not been provided to make any other determinations.

Were the replacement of the doors permitted? Part of the permit for the other work being done there? Inspected? I recommend checking on permits and inspections and ask the inspector who was there as they can tell a lot more from seeing it than can be described here.

Make sure that there are no egress or accessibility obstacles created by the new doors. There are attorneys who go around with people in wheelchairs looking for buildings which do not meet the accessibility requirements - you find that out when you receive a letter inviting you to appear ('demanding' you appear is more accurate) before the judge, when the judge asks if these conditions exist, about your only response is 'Yes, Your Honor, how much should I write the check out for?' The handicap person does not benefit from the law suit (they do not receive any monetary award), but you have to pay the attorneys fees, which will likely be $10,000 to $15,000 (the attorney then pays 'his field assistant' in the wheel chair) and they go on to the next property for the next law suit and the next check.

[phil327]

We were told that the new doors are part of the concrete restoration project. The city inspector will look at the doors. People are complaining that the room is getting hot and the air is stale because the is no air circulation in the room, even the mailman has complained.

Right now there is no exhaust fan and no windows that can be opened. Does this meet code? Also , there is no heat or air conditioning vents in the room. The doors and side lights meet hurricane standards. Above each panel and door is a 'transom light' basically a small sealed window approx 36 inches wide by 12 inches high.

Can one or more of these transom windows be replaced by a screen and still meet code? Can a room have a screen with no glass?

( transom might not be the correct term for a window over a door )

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

We were told that the new doors are part of the concrete restoration project. The city inspector will look at the doors. People are complaining that the room is getting hot and the air is stale because the is no air circulation in the room, even the mailman has complained.

Right now there is no exhaust fan and no windows that can be opened. Does this meet code?

Does not sound like it does - make sure to ask the inspector, if the inspector is not sure (the inspector will be a 'building' [structural] inspector) and may likely not know, the inspector may need to confer with, or have, a 'mechanical' inspector address the issue to make sure there is adequate and sufficient fresh air exchange after the door has been replaced.

Also , there is no heat or air conditioning vents in the room. The doors and side lights meet hurricane standards. Above each panel and door is a 'transom light' basically a small sealed window approx 36 inches wide by 12 inches high.

Can one or more of these transom windows be replaced by a screen and still meet code? Can a room have a screen with no glass?

That would make the door assembly no longer conforming to its approved and tested design, it would no longer meet the impact resistance requirements.

( transom might not be the correct term for a window over a door )

That is the correct term, yes, but no, those are not allowed to be removed or opened if they came fixed in place and not operable.

[phil327]

Another conversation with one of the owners regarding the lobby.

Do you know if a building lobby requires ventilation, either an exhaust fan or windows that can be opened. This lobby has no heat or air conditioning. The lobby has a few wicker couches, all the mail boxes, and elevator and a door to a stair way. Does this make it living space?

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Another conversation with one of the owners regarding the lobby.

Do you know if a building lobby requires ventilation, either an exhaust fan or windows that can be opened. This lobby has no heat or air conditioning. The lobby has a few wicker couches, all the mail boxes, and elevator and a door to a stair way. Does this make it living space?

It does not need to be "living space", just "occupied space".

OCCUPIABLE SPACE. An enclosed space intended for human activities, excluding those spaces intended primarily for other purposes, such as storage rooms and equipment rooms, that are only intended to be occupied occasionally and for short periods of time.

From the 2010 FBC-Mechanical
- 401.2 Ventilation required.
- - Every occupied space shall be ventilated by natural means in accordance with Section 402 or by mechanical means in accordance with Section 403.
- - In lieu of compliance with Section 403.1 through Section 403.3, mechanical ventilation may be implemented in compliance with ASHRAE 62.1.
- 401.3 When required.
- - Ventilation shall be provided during the periods that the room or space is occupied.

- SECTION 402 NATURAL VENTILATION
- - 402.1 Natural ventilation. [B]
- - - Natural ventilation of an occupied space shall be through windows, doors, louvers or other openings to the outdoors. The operating mechanism for such openings shall be provided with ready access so that the openings are readily controllable by the building occupants.
- - - 402.2 Ventilation area required. [B]
- - - - The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be 4 percent of the floor area being ventilated.
- - - 402.3 Adjoining spaces. [B]
- - - - Where rooms and spaces without openings to the outdoors are ventilated through an adjoining room, the opening to the adjoining rooms shall be unobstructed and shall have an area not less than 8 percent of the floor area of the interior room or space, but not less than 25 square feet (2.3 m2). The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be based on the total floor area being ventilated.
- - - - - Exception: Exterior openings required for ventilation shall be permitted to open into a thermally isolated sunroom addition or patio cover, provided that the openable area between the sunroom addition or patio cover and the interior room has an area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area of the interior room or space, but not less than 20 square feet (1.86 m2). The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be based on the total floor area being ventilated.
- - - 402.4 Openings below grade. [B]
- - - - Where openings below grade provide required natural ventilation, the outside horizontal clear space measured perpendicular to the opening shall be one and one-half times the depth of the opening. The depth of the opening shall be measured from the average adjoining ground level to the bottom of the opening.

If the choice is for mechanical ventilation, then the minimum ventilation rate will likely be 50 cfm - the mechanical contractor doing the work would need to verify the amount of mechanical ventilation required.

If the choice is for natural ventilation, then the minimum ventilation opening size is 4 percent of the sq ft area, within the conditions provided for in 402 above.