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Wrought iron glass and wrought iron frame accents from Plastpro |
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MANAGEMENT
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The Latest...
Side-Hinged Door Proposal Going Back
to Drawing Board
Palm Springs, Calif.—The industry may get another shot at developing a compromise for the sided-hinged door proposal currently on the table at the International Code Committee hearings, according to door industry representatives at the American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s annual meeting. Attendees of the AAMA event conclude their event today.
At the same time AAMA conducted its 71st annual conference in Palm Springs, the ICC hearings were taking place across town. Several code representatives straddled the two events, delivering news to the AAMA door codes committee that the proposal to require testing and labeling of complete side-hinged door systems under AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S. 2/A400 has likely been put on hold. The move is designed to allow AAMA, the Association of Milwork Distributors and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association to continue efforts to develop a component-based approach that would allow labeling of complete entry door units made of individually-rated and certified components, including slabs, doorlites and frames.
During this week’s code hearings, WDMA spoke in favor of its plan to require testing and labeling of complete side-hinged door systems, but surprisingly asked the ICC committees to turn down the proposal in order to allow the industry to go back to the drawing board and work on a hybrid solution. “The proponent, WDMA, put out a good argument [at the code hearings] but in the end asked the committee to disapprove the proposal so they can work through this issue with the industry,” explained Steve Strawn of Jeld-Wen Inc., chairman of AAMA’s door code committee. Representatives from the interested organizations—AAMA, WDMA and AMD—who were in attendance at the AAMA event agreed to schedule a meeting to discuss the next steps.
The proposal, introduced for consideration to the ICC by WDMA, calls for system-based certification of side-hinged doors, a code requirement that would be extremely challenging for many prehangers that create entry door systems using components from a variety of suppliers. These prehangers argue that the systems-based rating and labeling approach will limit consumer choices. Door manufacturers that supply all the components for their entry door systems, on the other hand, assert that side-hinged exterior doors should be tested, rated and labeled in the same manner as windows and sliding door units.
Prehangers, represented by the AMD, would prefer component-based certification so approved components can be switched around to produce different door combinations. That contingent argued against WDMA’s proposal in the ICC hearings. AAMA tried to take the middle ground on the issue, offering its endorsement of WDMA’s proposal, formally known as S141, while simultaneously drafting a list of exceptions to the plan that might satisfy both systems manufacturers and prehangers.
Those who attended AAMA’s door code committee meeting Monday thought AAMA’s compromise draft for the side-hinged door testing might be a good starting point. “Let’s sit down and talk about it,” said AMD’s Jeff Burton. “Let’s try to avoid a fight in public.”
There may still be a long way to go in reaching a solution that will satisfy both systems manufacturers and prehangers, but the groups will likely try to draft a consolidated public response before the ICC’s summer deadline. “AAMA, WDMA and others have their work cut out for them on this whole issue of testing and labeling side hinge door systems,” Strawn noted, “but this move gives us time as an industry […] to format a public comment.”
WDMA technical committees are slated to meet in mid-March to discuss, among other things, the S141 proposal. Following that event, representatives from WDMA, AAMA and AMD may reconvene with a meeting or conference call to explore a possible compromise.
—Christina Lewellen, senior editor, Window & Door magazine
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