Tip of the week: Advice on repairing small holes in fire-rated doors

If you ever remove hardware or plates from fire-rated doors, the holes left behind technically violate NFPA standards. Replacing a fire door is a costly endeavor, especially when there are only small holes located in the door. Fortunately, there are two methods to seal small holes caused by the removal of hardware. 

Go to NFPA 80, Fire Doors and Fire Windows (1999 edition), and check out paragraph 15-2.5.4. Under that paragraph, you can fill in holes caused by hardware changes by the following methods:

• Install steel fasteners that adequately fill the holes
• Fill the screw or bolt holes with the same material as the door or frame

The first method may be the easiest and most cost effective, but if the doors are in an area where aesthetics are an issue, the second method may be the best choice.