# Egress door locks keyed or not?



## Buelligan (Mar 15, 2012)

*R311.2 Egress door.*

At least one egress door shall be provided for each dwelling unit. The egress door shall be side-hinged, and shall provide a minimum clear width of 32 inches (813 mm) when measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (1.57 rad). The minimum clear height of the door opening shall not be less than 78 inches (1981 mm) in height measured from the top of the threshold to the bottom of the stop. Other doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions. Egress doors shall be readily openable from inside the dwelling without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

Based only on the above code section would ALL exterior doors be prohibited from having locks keyed on both sides ? The question is, does this only apply to the required door or to all other exterior doors as well.

Side note: Do you consider ALL exterior doors that meet the requirements for egress door in the above section to be an _egress door_ or does the term only apply to the ONE required door per house? Confusing I know, but the discussion here is whether or not the term "egress doors" in the last sentence applies only to the required door or not.

Hint: The commentary enlightened us to the actual intent! I will post what it says after I get some responses.

Thanks guys!


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## north star (Mar 15, 2012)

*&*

I vote for "all required Egress door(s)"........Counter Note: All exit doors are

not "Egress designated" doors!

*&*


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## brudgers (Mar 15, 2012)

If it is keyed from both sides, it is not an egress door by definition.

  This stuff is not that hard.


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## gbhammer (Mar 15, 2012)

Buelligan said:
			
		

> *R311.2 Egress door.*Side note: Do you consider ALL exterior doors that meet the requirements for egress door in the above section to be an _egress door_ or does the term only apply to the ONE required door per house? Confusing I know, but the discussion here is whether or not the term "egress doors" in the last sentence applies only to the required door or not.


One door is the egress door.


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## High Desert (Mar 15, 2012)

Only the designated egress door.


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## David Henderson (Mar 15, 2012)

Sorry I'm not going to tell people they can't have a dead bolt front or back door what ever the case, you tell them.


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## Big Mac (Mar 15, 2012)

Most dead bolt locks I have seen don't require a key to operate from the inside.


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## Doorman (Mar 15, 2012)

_"Most dead bolt locks I have seen don't require a key to operate from the inside."_

Done all the time.  People are afraid someone will break the window in the door, reach thru and flip the deadlock lever.  A double key deadlock prevents this scenario.


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## David Henderson (Mar 15, 2012)

Doorman no key allowed inside for egress.


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## High Desert (Mar 15, 2012)

Manually operated deadbolts are fine, it's the ones that require a key on the inside that are prohibited on the one egress door.


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## David Henderson (Mar 15, 2012)

Egress doors not suppose to have to be unlocked by an individual to exit, they do make a levered handle that will unlock when opening.


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## Doorman (Mar 15, 2012)

_"Doorman no key allowed inside for egress."_

Oh, I agree 100%.  Not allowed but still done.  I cannot control what others do with product they have purchase.

Did anyone here really drive 65 MPH last time on the freeway?  Really?

I get calls every week, someone wants a double keyed deadlock and an exit device on the same door.  Not kidding you.  I tell them no: I install a rim exit device, and after I am done they call a locksmith who comes, drills the door and installs a deadlock.  I can't believe it, but I see it often.

:banghd


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## fatboy (Mar 15, 2012)

The code as written, does not allow the designated egress door to have a keyed deadbolt lock. Quite clear. JMHO

What happens after you do the final inspection, is beyond your control.


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## LGreene (Mar 15, 2012)

I have always interpreted it as doors required for egress (not just the one that is required to provide 32" clear) are not allowed to have keyed deadbolts.  They can have deadbolts with thumbturns.  I don't have the commentary for the IRC so I'm interested to see what you found there.


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## fatboy (Mar 16, 2012)

I'll look tomorrow at the commentary, but I interpret that like the landing/stair requirements, the locking requirement is for one door. Let the games begin!


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## Buelligan (Mar 16, 2012)

Ok thanks for the responses!

Brudgers - I know its not that hard LOL but one of the guys here says that any door to the exterior is by definition an egress door, even the ones that don't meet the requirements of this section, i.e. a sliding door, while it does not meet this requirement for the required door it is still in fact an egress door. Therefore all exterior doors are for egress but only one needs to meet these requirements. Based on that logic and the last sentence of that section, none of the exterior (egress) doors can be keyed on both sides. So in his opinion the last sentence should clearly state that it only applies to the _required_ egress door. however in this case it does not.

The commentary makes the following statement pertaining to locks keyed on both sides:

"These lock provisions are not applicable to other exterior doors, however, just in case the way to the required egress was blocked these provisions for other exterior doors may provide an extra level of safety."

So in other words, the "label" _egress door_ only applies to the _required_ door and not any door to the exterior. correct?


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## Buelligan (Mar 16, 2012)

Sounds like we need to take a dip in the code hearing waters to add the word *Required*. :banghd


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## gbhammer (Mar 16, 2012)

One door all the others do not need to meet the requirements.


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## brudgers (Mar 16, 2012)

Buelligan said:
			
		

> Ok thanks for the responses!  Brudgers - I know its not that hard LOL but one of the guys here says that any door to the exterior is by definition an egress door, even the ones that don't meet the requirements of this section, i.e. a sliding door, while it does not meet this requirement for the required door it is still in fact an egress door. Therefore all exterior doors are for egress but only one needs to meet these requirements. Based on that logic and the last sentence of that section, none of the exterior (egress) doors can be keyed on both sides. So in his opinion the last sentence should clearly state that it only applies to the _required_ egress door. however in this case it does not.  The commentary makes the following statement pertaining to locks keyed on both sides: "These lock provisions are not applicable to other exterior doors, however, just in case the way to the required egress was blocked these provisions for other exterior doors may provide an extra level of safety."  So in other words, the "label" _egress door_ only applies to the _required_ door and not any door to the exterior. correct?


  It's not a door, it's a hinged access panel.


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## fatboy (Mar 16, 2012)

FWIW, the commentary states, I know, not code, writers opinion, but the question was asked;

"These lock provisions are not applicable to other exterior doors, however, just in case the way to the required egress door was blocked, following these provisions for other exterior doors mat provide an extra level of safety."


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## High Desert (Mar 16, 2012)

Oregon amends that section to make it clear that it is only the egress door. Typically the main entry door.

"The egress door shall be readily openable from inside the dwelling without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort."

Good section for a code change though.


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## Mule (Mar 16, 2012)

When I first arrived at the jurisdiction I am at now the police department was provoding free crime prevention surveys on SFR. One of their recommendations was to change all thumblatch deadbolts out to a keyed deadbolt. Fortunatly one of the residents was a local builder. He called me and asked if the codes had changed. Got with the PD and they no longer recommend the change.


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## gbhammer (Mar 16, 2012)

Mule said:
			
		

> When I first arrived at the jurisdiction I am at now the police department was provoding free crime prevention surveys on SFR. One of their recommendations was to change all thumblatch deadbolts out to a keyed deadbolt. Fortunatly one of the residents was a local builder. He called me and asked if the codes had changed. Got with the PD and they no longer recommend the change.


Telling the POPO they got it wrong is how you get a police escort when ever you leave the building department.


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