Solid vs Fire-Rated Doors
In commercial buildings, a successful door design should offer both stylish and safe solutions for entry and exit. But with so many door designs to choose from and budgets to consider, selecting a long-term solution is a challenge. Many buildings require fire-rated doors throughout, but what’s the difference between a solid and a fire-rated door?
“Solid core doors are often used in commercial applications, particularly in high-rise office building corridors,” writes Thomas Norman for Science Direct. “These are mostly applied to tenant suite doors rather than on the main fire corridor, where hollow metal doors are more common due to their lower cost and often higher fire rating.”
Solid doors can offer some protection to the design, and depending on the materials used in the core, come with a better fire rating than standard honeycomb core doors. Most solid doors come with fire ratings up to 20 minutes.
Fire-rated doors are designed with non-combustible materials, have higher fire ratings and are often required by building code for commercial buildings. These doors help keep building occupants safe by offering protected evacuation routes.
“Fire-rated doors are required for key areas in schools, hotels, and most other public spaces. They can be specified for 20, 45, or 90 minutes,” according to Masonite Architectural.
