11.6 Doors, Windows, Hardware & Interior Finishes

Where These Topics Appear

The PSI Limited Building Contractor outline has Doors and Windows (2 items) and Finishes (2 items). The NASCLA unlimited exam tests the same subjects more heavily, as Doors, Windows and Glazing and as Finishes. Questions are practical: identify a door hand, count hinges, spot a hazardous glazing location, pick the right gypsum board, or name a drywall finish level.

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Doors and Frames

Door types

• Hollow metal steel doors and frames are graded by ANSI/SDI A250.8 duty levels: Level 1 standard duty (20-gauge faces), Level 2 heavy duty (18-gauge), Level 3 extra heavy duty (16-gauge), and Level 4 maximum duty.
• Wood doors are flush solid-core (particleboard, structural composite lumber, or mineral core for fire ratings), flush hollow-core (light interior use), or stile-and-rail.
• Aluminum storefront entrances are part of storefront systems (Section 11.2).

Door handing is read from the outside, which is the key or secure side:

Hinges and hardware

• Hardware practice calls for one hinge for every 30 inches of door height, or fraction of it. Doors up to 60 inches take two hinges, doors over 60 up to 90 inches take three, and doors over 90 up to 120 inches take four. A standard 3'-0" x 7'-0" door gets three hinges, typically 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" on a 1-3/4-inch door.
• ANSI/BHMA A156 grades hardware for durability: Grade 1 is heavy commercial, Grade 2 light commercial, and Grade 3 residential.
• Accessible doors need hardware that works without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting, such as levers or push bars, mounted 34 to 48 inches above the floor.

Fire door assemblies (NFPA 80)

• The door, frame, hinges, latch, and closer must all be labeled or listed for the rating.
• The door must be self-closing or automatic-closing and positive-latching.
• Clearance under the door may not exceed 3/4 inch. Clearance at the head and jambs of steel doors is about 1/8 inch.
• Field modifications not permitted by NFPA 80 or the labeling agency, such as enlarging vision lites or cutting in extra hardware preps, can void the label.
• Fire door assemblies must be inspected and tested at least annually, and the results documented.

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Windows and Glazing

Installing a flanged window in a water-resistive barrier (WRB) follows a shingle-lap sequence, so water that gets behind the cladding is always directed outward:

1. Install the sill flashing or sill pan first.
2. Set the window and fasten its flanges.
3. Apply jamb flashing over the side flanges.
4. Apply head flashing over the top flange.
5. Lap the WRB over the head flashing. Leave the bottom flange unsealed so the sill can drain.

Performance labels

• NFRC labels report the U-factor (lower means better insulation) and the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). A low SHGC matters in South Carolina's cooling-dominated Climate Zone 3.
• Window performance classes and design-pressure grades are rated under AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440.

Safety glazing (IBC 2406) is required in hazardous locations. Tempered or laminated glazing must meet CPSC 16 CFR 1201 or ANSI Z97.1 and carry a permanent identifying mark. Hazardous locations include:

• glazing in swinging, sliding, and bifold doors
• glazing within a 24-inch arc of a door edge when its bottom edge is less than 60 inches above the floor
• an individual pane larger than 9 square feet, with its bottom edge less than 18 inches and top edge more than 36 inches above the floor, and a walking surface within 36 inches horizontally (all four conditions)
• glazing in guards and railings, in wet areas such as tub and shower enclosures, and next to stairways and ramps

Wind-borne debris regions (IBC 1609.2): In areas where the ultimate design wind speed is 130 mph or more within one mile of the coastal mean high-water line, or 140 mph or more anywhere, exterior glazing must be impact-resistant or protected by approved shutters. Impact resistance is tested under ASTM E1996 and E1886. Much of coastal South Carolina falls in these regions.

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Interior Finishes

Gypsum board (ASTM C1396)

• 1/2-inch regular board is used for general walls.
• 5/8-inch Type X, a gypsum core with glass fibers, is used where a fire-resistance rating is required. Follow the tested assembly listing exactly.
• Moisture- and mold-resistant board suits humid areas. Showers and other wet tile areas need cement board (ASTM C1325) or another tile backer.
• A typical single-layer layout puts screws 12 inches on center on ceilings and 16 inches on center on walls with framing at 16 inches on center. Fire-rated listings may require closer spacing.

Finish levels (GA-214)

Suspended acoustical ceilings (ASTM C635 and C636)

• Main runners hang from wires of at least 12 gauge, typically spaced no more than 4 feet on center along the runners.
• Buildings in higher seismic design categories, which include parts of the Charleston area, need the ASTM E580 seismic installation details.

Floors, tile, and coatings

• Test slab moisture before installing resilient flooring. Methods include in-situ relative humidity probes (ASTM F2170) and calcium chloride tests (ASTM F1869), checked against the flooring manufacturer's limits.
• Tile installation follows ANSI A108/A118 and the TCNA Handbook. Ceramic tile floors generally need a substrate no more flexible than L/360, and natural stone L/720.
• Paint and coatings depend on surface preparation and the specified dry-film thickness in mils. Check it with a wet-film gauge, where dry film equals wet film times the coating's volume solids.