# Communicating doors in commercial building



## Bobby Kolev (Dec 1, 2016)

Hello from a newbie in this forum and , more or less, in the world of commercial building ownership.

Found the website while researching an idea as it has an article about communicating doors in hotel rooms, signed up, scanned the welcome forum and I hope I am not jumping over my head by asking my question here.

Here it is: I have a small commercial building that I am renovating and reconstructing , e.g. breaking up one 3000 sqft suite I can't rent into 2 or 3 smaller ones.

My question is this: I consider installing communicating doors the individual suites. This way if someone wants more space (for office) all they'd have to do is open two doors (on both sides of the wall) and they have it.

If on the other hand someone wants just one suite as it is all they have to do is close and bolt their door.

Of course I am not sure how potential tenants will accept the idea of having a door in the wall, but that is only secondary to the question of how the code will look at it.

I'll appreciate your input on both practical and purely compliance side of things.

It goes beyond saying that at least one, possibly both doors should be standard 1 hour fire proof.
An interesting question is if just one door can do as well - ultimately it's not like it will be opened or closed very often and as long as each side can lock/bolt it on their end maybe one will be just fine.

Still the question remains if code would approve of it.

Thank you!


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## cda (Dec 1, 2016)

Welcome!!

Another Texan


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## steveray (Dec 1, 2016)

As long as the suites only need one means of egress, it will work. It does get tricky when you combine them if you need to egress through that door...


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## cda (Dec 1, 2016)

Most of the time the wall between tenants is not required to be rated 

Unless local ahj requires it

Unless two different occupancy groups

Unless actual mall

And a few others

Yes some tenants may not like it.

Suggest, plan in the wall where a case opening can and might be wanted.

Tenant wants more space, get the saws all out!!!!


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## RLGA (Dec 1, 2016)

Hotels/motels do this all the time through fire-resistance-rated walls (fire partitions). If the wall is required to be fire-resistance-rated and each door complies with the opening protection requirements, this should not be a problem. If sound transmission is a concern, then there are methods of overcoming that, but it is not code issue (unless the connecting spaces are dwelling or sleeping units in Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4).

In a commercial application, the double-door installation can be used for security reasons between tenant spaces, provided the door is not used as part of a required means of egress.


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## Bobby Kolev (Dec 2, 2016)

Thank you all that was helpful and reassuring.

Best of all nobody told me this forum is for pros and pointed me to read the code like I've seen on other places - it was all straight to the point.

Thanks again!


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## cda (Dec 2, 2016)

Hay we are professionals !!!
We get a dollar an hour, that makes us professional and not amateur code practicers.


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## ADAguy (Dec 3, 2016)

Careful cdavis@vcaengineers.com, professionals are usually required in most states to be licensed or certified, unlike experts who are resume based professionals


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## cda (Dec 3, 2016)

ADAguy said:


> Careful cdavis@vcaengineers.com, professionals are usually required in most states to be licensed or certified, unlike experts who are resume based professionals




I DO have a fishing license !!


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## ADAguy (Dec 5, 2016)

Yes, but how many Bass have you caught? Marlin, etc.? Fly or reel?


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## tmurray (Dec 5, 2016)

If the wall is required to be rated, be careful with the fire resistance rating of the doors. Usually, doors can have a slightly lower rating than the wall they are in. This is mostly because the fire load adjacent to them is usually low (no filing cabinets full of paper in front of doors), but if the door is not likely to remain clear of combustibles, some building and fire officials may require that they meet the full rating of the wall. It's a good idea to touch base with them and see what they say about the situation.


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## ADAguy (Dec 5, 2016)

point well made tm.


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## cda (Dec 5, 2016)

And some  doors have to be the same rating as the wall


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## BayPointArchitect (Dec 7, 2016)

cda said:


> And some  doors have to be the same rating as the wall


Examples would include a 3 hour fire rated wall and interior doors leading into a fire-rated stair enclosure.
Otherwise, all other doors (that I can think of) would be something less.


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## cda (Dec 7, 2016)

BayPointArchitect said:


> Examples would include a 3 hour fire rated wall and interior doors leading into a fire-rated stair enclosure.
> Otherwise, all other doors (that I can think of) would be something less.




I think if a control room is created it is required a one hour door 

11/2 fire walls 11/2 door

3hr horizontal  3 hr door


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