Ensuring a fire hose or some other piece of equipment does not get caught on a door handle is mandated by building codes such as California Health and Safety Code (Sections 13143 and 1.11) 2010 California Fire Code (CFC), and California Building Code (CBC). For some applications codes dictate hardware must be inset in order for it to be considered a completely clear opening.
There are other types of building codes and regulations making integrated doors a potentially better choice. For example, when in the process of selecting an integrated door, one should consider:
- FPA 252 for life safety;
- codes regulating opening width set by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD);
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for wood doors; and
- California Air Resources Board (CARB), which covers airflow.
A fully integrated door from a reputable vendor ensures the door and all its components are up to code, while a door not integrated complicates the installation process. Traditional doors also require the installer be properly credentialed and be able to verify each component to be installed into the door is code-compliant. Any money ‘saved’ is often spent quickly on ensuring everything and everyone is code compliant.
Design
For architects, finishes and textures are taken into account when determining the project’s overall design aesthetic. In the past, many designs could not be achieved with integrated doors because they were only offered in a few styles. Today, some manufacturers offer total customization of integrated doors, with various metal or plastic laminates, paint colors, and vision lites. They can also be color-matched to the wall and even installed with a pocket, which tucks the door out of sight to maintain design continuity.
Beyond the color and door positioning, the hardware influences the look and feel of an environment. Integrated doors can be customized to coordinate with the other hardware in the facility or disappear entirely, whether it is inset hardware for applications that require the lowest possible projections, or designer levers for fire doors that do not require a panic device.
Warranty
In terms of warranties, the advantages of integrated doors are simple, straightforward, and easy to explain. When all the hardware is produced and factory installed by the same company, there is only one person to contact and one source responsible for sending a replacement part. This eliminates the headache of contacting multiple manufacturers and guarantees delivery of the correct hardware for the door.
Before a selection is made, specifiers should ensure the integrated door purchased comes with a warranty that covers the door as well as the components. This way, if just one part is damaged, the entire door does not have to be replaced.
Security
It is impossible to ignore the increasing importance of security. It has become a critical part of building management, particularly when facilities are designed to serve the general public.
Fortunately, the usual electrification options, including electrified dogging, alarm, latch retraction, and monitoring are all possible with integrated door systems. The complications introduced by security requirements, such as fire-rating complications, are simplified through specifying integrated doors. Security cannot be compromised for aesthetics, and selecting an integrated system not only meets security requirements, but often exceeds them.
This level of integrated functionality is an important tool for preventing crime by controlling access. The tamper-resistant hardware makes it difficult for unauthorized personnel to gain access once the integrated door assembly is in a secure position.
