ANSI A117.1 requires (for accessible doors) a smooth surface for the width of door in an area within 10 inches above the floor. In effect, this requires 10 inch high bottom rail on stile and rail doors.
My question is, is this also required on all-glass doors? We typically have had a 4 inch high bottom rail or patch plates. Does the bottom rail need to be 10 inches high on these doors?
Good question.
ANSI 117.1 (2003 edition) has exception #2 to Section 404.2.9 that states “Tempered glass doors without stiles and having a bottom rail or shoe with the top leading edge tapered at no less than 60 degrees from the horizontal shall not be required to meet the 10 inch (255 mm) bottom rail height requirement.”
Does that help?
Thanks Ron, I knew I could count on you to answer this
You’re welcome.
Just to clarify a minor point, the 2003 edition of ANSI A117.1 is referenced in the 2006 IBC. If you’re using the 2003 IBC, then the 1998 edition of ANSI A117.1 is referenced. The 1998 edition also has the same exception, but it is located in Section 404.2.10.
I understood this requirement (10 inch high bottom rail) to be an issue of flushness between bottom rail and lock stile so a chair would not hang up on the square edge of the stile. Beveling the top of the bottom rail does not help this situation. But the reference in Ron’s response does not reflect this condition. If this requirement is not for flushness between stile and rail for 10 inches; what is the issue? How does beveling the top edge help?
you don’t want a “lip” for a chair foot rail, or other device to get hung up on. I’ve pulled hems of coats out on square edges of kickplates, and I can imagine a footplate getting stuck on one if it was hit at the right angle.
The tips of canes, crutches and walkers are sometimes used prop open the door as the occupant passes through, thus the requirement for a 60 degree bevel.