It is NOT uncommon for doors to have a higher Fire Resistance Rating than the surrounding walls.

It is NOT uncommon for doors to have a higher Fire Resistance Rating than the surrounding walls.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not uncommon
• D. Usually true

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how fire resistance ratings relate between a door assembly and the wall it sits in. A fire door must provide at least the same level of fire resistance as the wall it protects, so the door’s rating should be equal to or greater than the wall’s rating. In practice, designers usually match the door to the wall’s rating rather than overspecifying with a much higher-door rating, because it adds unnecessary cost and rarely provides additional benefit. Therefore, it’s not common for doors to have a higher Fire Resistance Rating than the surrounding walls, so the statement is false.

The key idea here is how fire resistance ratings relate between a door assembly and the wall it sits in. A fire door must provide at least the same level of fire resistance as the wall it protects, so the door’s rating should be equal to or greater than the wall’s rating. In practice, designers usually match the door to the wall’s rating rather than overspecifying with a much higher-door rating, because it adds unnecessary cost and rarely provides additional benefit. Therefore, it’s not common for doors to have a higher Fire Resistance Rating than the surrounding walls, so the statement is false.