Oklahoma Locksmith Practice Exam

What feature is required on a pair of fire doors with a coordinator?

1. Single point latch

2. An overlapping astragal

3. Acoustic seals

4. Weather stripping

The correct answer is: An overlapping astragal

A coordinator is a device used on pairs of opening doors, such as fire doors, to ensure that one door closes before the other. This is particularly important in maintaining the integrity of fire-rated assemblies. When one door is held open temporarily or is operated, the coordinator ensures that the second door does not swing closed until the first door is securely closed. The overlapping astragal plays a crucial role in this system. It is a vertical strip that overlaps the edge of the inactive (secondary) door, which acts as a physical barrier to help maintain a tight seal between the two doors when they are closed. This seal helps to restrict smoke and fire from passing through the gaps, thereby ensuring that the fire rating is upheld. Without an overlapping astragal, the effectiveness of the fire door system is compromised, as the integrity of the barrier would not be maintained. Other features such as single point latches, acoustic seals, and weather stripping, while they may have their own merits, do not fulfill the specific requirement that an overlapping astragal does in coordinating the operation of fire doors in a way that maintains their sealing capabilities and fire-resistance characteristics.