Door question

[cshenk]

Hi, have door leading to a screened porch. Right now, it's a hollow core interior door. Codespec should be an exterior door right?

[J.H. Holliday]

For me, the issue would be door security rather than code....

[cshenk]

"J.H. Holliday" wrote

That too.

[RicodJour]

I don't know of a code provision that requires a strong or durable door. I certainly wouldn't want a hollow core door on the exterior, but that's another matter. Why are you asking about code?

R

[SteveB]

If it's exposed to the elements, even covered by a porch, it should be an exterior door.

Other persons have pointed out the security risks of flimsy doors.

[Bill]

Building codes typically cover safety and fire issues. So code would specify a solid "fire rated" door between a garage and the house. But I have not heard of anything for an outside door. However most people would prefer a solid door for security reasons.

[cshenk]

Thank you to all who answered!

We caught a perfect deal and now have an energy star rated metal door installed. A fellow who is retired and does good work (yes, insured!) installed it late yesterday.

Call me silly but when he wanted only 30$ over cost of door, we thought it too low and he did really *nice* work, including raising the wood piece above the door as the new ones are slightly taller. Paid him 100$ over cost of door and I think that was fair.

He does freelance work helping people with disabilities and low income, adapt their home. He said he'd put the money to good use for a lady he knows down the street of us who needs a wheelcair ramp rebuilt (wood rotting out).

Feels good to help folks out and I think that even at 100$, we got a good deal. The door BTW is a simple one, 162$ for pre-hung door and parts (included a deadbolt and he's making us extra keys for free).

Oh and for those who don't know, anytime you put in something 'energy star' rated, you get a small tax write off as well as a lower energy bill by a bit.

[cshenk]

Was warned several times on various aspects of our home that things are not to codespec, mostly because the specs have changed. A contractor we talked to several months ago listed us 35,000$ *minimum* to fix the back room (porch enclosure by VA code, not technically a 4th bedroom).

It was mostly code issues and he had a real thing about the door from the

3rd bedoom being an 'exterior type but not firesafe' and the door from the 'enclosure to the screened porch' being an interor type hollow core.

It was significantly cheaper to have the room retrofitted to a 'proper' enclosure aka 'sunroom'. Among other things, we don't have to have the roof over the back of the house ripped off and raised for a sunroom (grin). It's slightly less than 8ft back there. Something about VA specs and a true bedrooom addition required the roof be about 4 inches higher. I may not have caught it all accurately but I caught clearly the 35,000$ *minimum* and probably cost me much more!

The house was built in 1963. Lots of things have changed since then. Some seems silly but some is truely safer.