Doors that separate the garage and living area are required by the IRC (International Residential Code) to be a fire rated door. Gasoline, paint, chemicals, and other flammable items are typically stored in garages and can pose a fire hazard. This is what the IRC says about them:
R309.1 Opening Penetration
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and the residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8” (35 mm) in thickness, solid- or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8” (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors.
The other day I did an inspection on a home that had a pet access door installed in the garage/living area door. This is a no no! They had actually removed the pet access door when they moved out and patched the hole with the plug they cut out when they installed it. Visually it would be very easy to not see it by just glancing, but when I was checking the door I caught it. The patches were on each side but the middle was hollow when I tapped on them. This door has been compromised and the integrity of the fire rating is gone! Not sure why someone would want their pets to have access to the garage anyway, but that’s another story.
I recommended the door be replaced with a qualified fire rated door.
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