(5) Door clearances are within allowable limits.

The maximum clearance between the bottom of a fire door and the top of the finished floor or threshold is 3/4″.  When the bottom of the door is more than 38″ above the finished floor (ex: a counter shutter or a dutch door), the maximum clearance at the bottom is 3/8″ or as specified by the manufacturer’s label service procedure.

Clearances at the perimeter and between the meeting stiles of pairs are measured on the pull side face of the door. For wood doors, the clearance must not exceed 1/8″. For hollow metal doors, the clearance must be between 1/16″ and 3/16″. This is very difficult to accomplish unless the frames are installed perfectly.

One solution for improper clearances at the jambs or meeting stiles is shimming the hinges with steel shims. Another option for reducing an oversized gap at the meeting stiles is a listed edge guard specifically approved for this purpose. I’m not aware of a listed/labeled solution for extending the length of a door. If the door undercut is greater than 3/4″, a threshold may be added to reduce the gap, but keep in mind that the maximum threshold height for accessible doors is 1/2″.

Source: NFPA 80 2007, 2010 – 4.8.4 and 6.3.1.7

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