Kitchen <> garage door - Window?

[masraum]

This is an easy one. If you've got an attached garage and you've got a door between the house (usually the kitchen, I think) and the garage. Does the door have a window or is it a solid door.

My wife thinks that no one wants to be able to see from the house into the garage. I am pretty sure that I've seen plenty of houses where you can see between the two.

[Noah930]

Has to be fire-rated.

Can't recall ever seeing a door-to-the-garage with a window in it, to code or not.

[NORD]

Mine enters Family Room. No window. Yes should be one hour fire rated.

But it's your house so do what you like

[Evans, Marv]

As the guys above said, has to be/should be fire rated. No window in mine. It's 2 1/2 in. thick oak.

[look 171]

Fire door.

Damn Marv, you live in a castle or what, 2 1/2"?

[74-911]

Our previous house had a door with a clear glass window between the garage and kitchen. We picked up decal that looked like stained glass at Lowes and applied to the window which stopped anyone being able to look in. All kinds of patterns, frosted, etc are available and the price was right.

Note: PO had installed a mini-blind which banged on the door every time you opened / closed the door. Very annoying.

[lgb240]

My parent's place (built 51 years ago) had a window in the wood door (pre fire rated code)separating the garage from the house. My place built roughly the same time, does not.

[GH85Carrera]

My attached 3 car garage has no windows in the garage doors. It has one door that goes out the back into the back yard and another that goes into the kitchen. Neither has a window. There are two windows on the front of the garage to look out into the front yard. They have cheap levolor blinds to prevent someone looking in. The windows are double pane insulated and monitored on the security system.

[OffCamber00]

Current house has no window. House I grew up in (built '72) had a window in a wood door.

Personally i'd like to have a window.

[masraum]

Interesting info all. I knew that I remembered some doors having windows. I guess it is only in old houses.

[javadog]

FWIW, you can get a fire-rated door with a window in it. Can't think of any good reason to have a window in that door though, and a few reasons not to have one.

JR

[dyount]

Current IRC residential code says Solid wood doors not less than 1 3/8, steel not less than 1 3/8 or a 20 minute fire rated door.
The old code read the same but included a self closing hinge. New apartments w/garage also include that closer.

[dyount]

You could use a piece of heat treated glass that would end up with a 1 hr (nothing else avial) and at that point the glass would be higher rated than the door you put it in. Also local code person probably would want that glass put in a UL rated assy... not worth the $$$$ to deal with it.
I've always been more of a not wanting anyone to know what I"m up to in the garage guy

[MBAtarga]

The house I grew up in prior to entering college (many years ago) had a window, as did previous houses. None of the houses that I have bought had them - didn't really think anything about it until this post. I guess building codes changed so "they don't build them like they used to!" comes to mind.

[Z-man]

Fire codes for garage-to-house entry doors vary from town to town. My town requires a 20 minute burn-through door. Biggest difference between a 20 minute burn-through rate and higher rates (45, 60, 90 minute rates) is that the frame of the higher numbered doors are metal, not wood. IIRC, all fire rated doors are metal, or have a metal outside layer.

What is interesting is this: from what I heard, there is no testing/certification done on 20 minute burn-through doors - they simply put a sticker on it. The testing starts are the next level of doors. So a 20 minute burn-through door is essentially a steel door in a wood frame, plus a pair of self-closing hinges.

Best bet for the OP: check with your town for what types of doors they require, and see if they will allow a door with a window in it, if that is your desire. You may not care much about this now, but if you sell your home, you may not get a CO (Cert. of occupancy) if they fail you on the door.

As always, YMMV,
-Z-man.

[mattdavis11]

I'm damn glad my parents house had a window on the garage to house door, otherwise I would have been locked out hundreds of times. I don't recall if the garage doors were lockable until the openers were installed, nor can I recall if the window was lockable until a phillips head screw was put into the window frame preventing it opening. Home was built in 1964, no idea on the fire proofing of the window, but I highly doubt it. However it did survive a minor garage fire. They still have the same door.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by dyount

Current IRC residential code says Solid wood doors not less than 1 3/8, steel not less than 1 3/8 or a 20 minute fire rated door.
The old code read the same but included a self closing hinge. New apartments w/garage also include that closer.

yep, same here. 20 minute self closing door. I fine the self closing door a real PITA.

[porsche4life]

That's no kidding. Any reason why a patio door would need to be self closing?

[look 171]

What's a patio door Sid? A screen door? To me, anything self closing is a pain with the exception of the doors at a restaurant or commercial places. I bet self closing front door is coming to your home real soon if the tree huggers have their ways.

[porsche4life]

Just a standard single hinge exterior door to our patio. Real PITA when taking stuff in or out for dinner out there, or when needing to run in to grab something while the kids swim. Nice to be able to hear them. Always having to prop the door open.