I recently completed a project for a retired couple in Bismarck, which involved replacing the entry door from their attached garage to the house. Their primary motivation for replacing the original door was to get their 1950s home compliant with current building codes in the event they look to sell.

Garage Entry Door Requirements

Following is the related section of the International Residential Code outlining requirements for garage entry doors:

R302.5.1 Opening Protection

Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing or automatic-closing device.

The original hollow-core wood door was definitely deficient, in terms of both safety and R-value. It provided little protection in the event of a garage fire, or in preventing heat loss from the home to the unheated space. Removal of the door trim also revealed that the original construction left an empty cavity with no insulation around the perimeter of the door.

The newly installed steel door complies with IRC code for fire protection and offers a substantial increase in R-value, given the door’s solid core construction and foam insulation filling the frame’s perimeter.