Product Approvals

Simpson doors are tested and rated to meet a variety of code requirements for today's homes. For over a century, we have been proud to make doors for American homeowners and can ensure you are getting fine craftsmanship and care with every door we build.

Energy Efficiency Testing

We are constantly striving to supply our customers with the most beautiful and efficient doors possible. Our research and engineering efforts have been a major reason why our doors continue to perform well while retaining the classic beauty that has become synonymous with the Simpson name.

Over the years, we have received questions from many of our customers regarding energy efficiency. Here are answers to some of the most common questions, as well as a summary of the most recent energy testing results for Simpson's doors.

Is wood an energy-efficient building material?

According to the Temperate Forest Foundation, wood is 16 times more efficient as an insulator than concrete, 415 times as efficient as steel and 2,000 times as efficient as aluminum. And wood is the only truly sustainable resource as forests are able to regenerate themselves within our lifetime.

What can I do to make my entryways more energy efficient?

The majority of heat loss in an entryway occurs around the door rather than through the door. Therefore the most important considerations for energy efficiency are how well the door has been hung and the quality of the application of the weatherstripping. Take great care during these steps or hire a professional to do the work for you.

Does Simpson offer special glazing options for doors with glass?

Simpson offers insulated glass (I.G) units and argon-filled and specially coated units to meet virtually all climate considerations. A Simpson Authorized Dealer will be able to assist you in determining what options work best for your specific needs.

What is U-Factor?

U-Factor is the measurement of how well a building material—typically windows and doors—keeps heat inside of a building or home. The lower the U-Factor, the greater the door's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating factor.

What is SHGC?

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a product blocks heat by sunlight. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat is transmitted.

WHAT IS VT?

Visible transmittance (VT) is an optical property that indicates the fraction of visible light transmitted through a door. The lower the VT, the less light is transmitted.

WHAT IS AL?

Air leakage (AL) is a measure of heat loss and gain through cracks in the door assembly. It is expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area. The lower the AL, the less air will pass through cracks in the door assembly.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE TEST DATA

All Simpson products have been tested for energy performance and all test results are available below, as well as the Certified Product Directory (CPD).

The following test data includes u-factor, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and visible transmittance (VT) values for every Simpson door. Please note that some designs may have different values based on the components and/or glass type specified for the door.

In addition to u-factor, SHGC and VT, Simpson doors have been tested for air leakage, a more recent requirement for some states and municipalities. All Simpson doors have met the air leakage ≤ 0.3 requirement. The specific test yielded the following air leakage test results: Inswing doors: 0.06. Outswing doors: 0.04.

SHGC=Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
VT=Visible Transmittance
IG=Insulated Glazing
SG=Single Glazing

Design Pressure (DP)
& Impact Approvals

Simpson offers hundreds of impact-rated exterior doors, suitable for coastal applications that require it. Please note: these doors do not have HVHZ approval at this time.

Specifications:

Choose any design from Simpson’s exterior door offering
Available in any wood type
Impact-rated IG used with many textures available, including turtle glass
Profiles available: ovolo, shaker, bevel
Panel types: available in any profile/raise
All doors offered 2-1/4” thick
Inswing Single Doors
- Max Unit or Slab-Only Size, All-Panel Doors: 3'6” x 9’0”
- Max Unit or Slab-Only Size, Doors with Glass: 3’6” x 9’0”
Outswing Single Doors
- Max Unit Size (All doors): 4’0” x 10’0”
- Max Slab-Only Size: 4’0” x 10’0”
Inswing Double Doors (Square Top Only)
- Max Unit Size: 7’0” x 9’0”
Outswing Double Doors
- Max Unit Size, Square Top Doors: 8’0” x 10’0”
- Max Unit Size, Arch and Radius Top Doors: 7’0” x 10’0”
Sidelights and Transoms
- Can be added to any single or double door unit
- Arched and elliptical transoms available
- Max Sidelight Size: 3’0” x 8’0”
- Max Transom Size: 6’0” x 3’0”
Multi-Point Locks*
- Required for all impact-rated doors
- Single door units = 3-point (Tongue top, tongue bottom, deadbolt)
- Double Door Units = 5-point (Tongue top, tongue bottom, shootbolts head and sill, deadbolt for active door. Tongue top, tongue bottom for inactive door)
Sills
- All units provided with composite adjustable sill

*Additional hardware may be required in some specific applications.

Impact Door Data Sheet

NAMI certified and approved for
all coastal areas from Maine to
Texas (except HVHZ)

Florida Code Report,
#FL9668, #FL14487 (Structural),
#FL14488 (Structural), #FL23103,
#FL39328, #FL39330

Indoor Air Quality -
CARB Compliance and 4-Star Approval

Simpson doors are made only with no-urea formaldehyde glues, which is great news for indoor air quality. And for those with sensitivity to volatile organic compounds (VOC), Simpson doors are a great choice for your home.

CARB Compliant

All Simpson doors are CARB (California Air Resource Board) Phase 2 Compliant.

Japan 4-Star Approval

Simpson has received the coveted 4-star rating from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation for the lowest possible emissions of formaldehyde. The approvals are bestowed upon panel doors and Simpson has received these approvals for a number of door products including doors 1-3/4" or 1-3/8" thick, with the following panels:

9/16" Raised Panel - View Approval (Japanese)
3/4" Raised Panel - View Approval (Japanese)
3/4" Flat Panel with Med-ex Core - View Approval (Japanese)
1-1/4" Innerbond® Raised Panel - View Approval (Japanese)
1-7/16" Innerbond® Raised Panel - View Approval (Japanese)
1-3/8" thick doors - View Approval (Japanese)
1-3/4" thick doors - View Approval (Japanese)

Fire-Rated Doors

Simpson offers thousands of choices for fire-rated doors, including 20-minute fire-rated wood doors and MDF doors with fire ratings up to 90-minute. And since Simpson fire doors have been designed to match other interior doors, your fire-rated doors will blend seamlessly with all doors in your home. Simpson MDF doors are available with 90-, 60-, 45- and 20-minute fire ratings. Learn more about your design options for these doors here:

20-minute Wood Fire-Rated Doors

Simpson 20-minute fire-rated doors comply with major code requirements for the 20-minute fire safety classification. This classification covers most residential requirements and can also meet commercial requirements for 20-minute. And best of all, Simpson 20-minute fire-rated doors match up perfectly with virtually any Simpson interior panel door, regardless of design or species.

Fire door designs complement Simpson interior door designs for architectural consistency throughout your home
Nearly unlimited design flexibility
Choose from two profiles – traditional ovolo or Shaker
Two panel types available – ¾” flat or 1-7/16” double hip-raised
Order in any size up to 3’6” wide and 8’0” tall
Choose from virtually any wood species
Excellent finishing characteristics
Select decorative options to meet your design needs
- Arched rail components
- V-groove raised panels
Products covered – Simpson 20 minute (with hose stream) single-swing stile and rail wood door and flush wood door.
- Architecture Code -- 08200 Wood and Plastic Doors and Frames
- Architecture Subcode -- 08210 Wood Doors
- Fire Resistance -- 20 Min w/Hose Stream PP Cat B Door
- Swing -- Single Swing
- Listed or Inspected -- LISTED
- Report Number -- 3089369COQ-005; 3137943COQ-003; 3157209COQ-005
These doors have been tested and evaluated for compliance with applicable requirements for the following standards.
- UL 10(c) (2015)
- UBC 7-2 (1997)
- UBC 7-2 (1994)
- UL 10(b) (1997)
- ASTM E2074 (2000)
- NFPA 252 (2012)
- CAN/ULC S104 (2015)

WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE (WUI) COMPLIANCE

For homes and buildings located in California within a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, Simpson produces doors that are in compliance with the requirements of this code. In order to meet code, the doors must feature the following components:

For all panel doors (no glass), the doors must feature either of Simpson’s standard exterior door raised panels: 1-7/16” thick or 1-1/4” thick.
For doors with glass, the glass must be an insulated glass unit.

Established by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the codes that Simpson meets include:

704A.3.2.3. Exterior door assemblies. Exterior door assemblies shall conform to the performance requirements of standard SFM 12-7A-1 or shall be of approved noncombustible construction, or solid core wood having stiles and rails not less than 1-3/8 inches with interior field panel thickness no less than 1-1/4” thick, or shall have a fire resistance rating of not less than 20 minutes when tested according to ASTM E 2074.

704A.3.2.2 Exterior Glazing and widow walls, Exterior windows, window walls, glazed doors, and glazed openings within exterior doors shall be insulating-glass units with a minimum of one tempered pane, or glass block units, or have a fire resistance rating of not less than 20 minutes, when tested according to ASTM E 2010, or conform to the performance requirements of SFM 12-7-2.

ADA Compliance

Simpson can manufacture any door to meet ADA requirements and guidelines. The following information delivers a general overview of primary ADA requirements for doors:

ADA Requirements Overview:

Width and Height Requirements:
According to ADA standards, the clear width of a door opening shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite stop. (Figure 1)

The clear height of a door opening must be a minimum of 80 inches. (Figure 2)

Requirements Regarding Door Surface:

If there are any projections on the face of the door, they must be no lower than 34 inches above the floor or ground and must not extend more than 4 inches from the surface of the door. (Figure 3)

Door surfaces within 10 inches of the floor or ground must be a smooth surface on the push side extending the full width of the door. Any parts creating a horizontal or vertical joint on the surface shall be within 1⁄16 inch in depth. If cavities are created by added kick plates they must be capped.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Handles, pulls, locks and latches

Handles, pulls, latches, locks and other operating devices on accessible doors must have a shape that is easy to grasp with one hand and does not require tight grasping, tight pinching, or twisting of the wrist to operate. Lever-operated mechanisms, push-type mechanisms, and U-shaped handles are acceptable designs. When sliding doors are fully open, the operating hardware must still be exposed and usable from both sides. Hardware must be mounted no higher than 48 inches above finished floor.

Thresholds

Thresholds at doorways shall not exceed 3/4 in (19 mm) in height for exterior sliding doors or 1/2 in (13 mm) for other types of doors. Raised thresholds and floor level changes at accessible doorways shall be beveled with a slope no greater than 1:2. If the changes in level are greater than 1⁄2 inch, the threshold must be equipped with a ramp. The floor or ground surface within the maneuvering clearances at the doorway must not have a slope steeper than 1:48.

Closing Speed (ADA Guidelines 4.13.10)

If a door has a closer, then the sweep period of the closer shall be adjusted so that from an open position of 70 degrees, the door will take at least 3 seconds to move to a point 3 in (75 mm) from the latch, measured to the leading edge of the door.

For more information on the ADA and ADA Guidelines

ADA Information is available on the Justice Department’s ADA home page at www.ada.gov. The ADA Accessibility Guideline for Buildings and Facilities can be found at www.access-board.gov, or call the ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 for a free copy of the regulations.

Product Approvals

Energy Efficiency Testing

Is wood an energy-efficient building material?

What can I do to make my entryways more energy efficient?