Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings, 4th Edition

8Doors

A door is a solid barrier that is fixed to a frame in an opening in a wall to hinge, pivot or slide open (or close). The door opening (the ‘doorway’) allows access and egress from buildings and between rooms, compartments and corridors. As a component part of a wall, the door and its frame are integral to the overall performance of the wall, be it an internal or external wall.

8.1 Functional requirements

The functional requirements of doors are specified, relating to both the component parts and the whole of the door sets or assemblies. The primary function of a door, when open, is to allow:

• A safe means of access and egress

The functional requirements of a door, when closed, are:

• Security, prevention of unauthorised entry
• Privacy
• Strength and stability
• Resistance to weather
• Durability and freedom from maintenance
• Fire safety
• Resistance to the passage of heat
• Resistance to the passage of sound
• Airtightness
• Aesthetics

Safe means of access and egress

Approved Document M requires that there be reasonable provision for disabled people to gain access to and use the building and its facilities in all new dwellings, as well as other types of new buildings used by the general public.

A door opening should be sufficiently wide and high for reasonably comfortable access of people, regardless of their ease of mobility. The standard width and height of 762 and 1981 mm (the metric equivalent of the former imperial sizes of 2′6″ × 6′6″) for single‐leaf doors will be found in ...