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The legal way to prop a fire door open

Fire Doors, Closers and Magnetic Hold-Open Devices

LCN · dormakaba · Edwards Canada & United States $$ · No reliable public figure; priced per opening

Rated doors with self-closers stop fire and smoke spreading through a building. Magnetic or closer-integrated hold-opens let those doors stay open in daily use and release them when the alarm goes off.

Why we like it

  • Removes the reason people wedge fire doors open
  • Releases automatically on fire alarm or a local smoke detector
  • Door, frame and hardware are tested together as one rated assembly

Watch out for

  • Needs a tie-in to the fire alarm or a smoke detector, usually by an electrical or fire alarm contractor
  • Any non-listed change to the door, frame or hardware can void the rating
  • Requires an annual inspection by a qualified person under NFPA 80
Best for

Stairwell, corridor and rated-wall doors in offices, schools, care homes and apartment buildings where doors need to stay open for traffic.

Read the full market guide — costs, install effort and alternatives ↓
Market guide

The whole commitment, end to end

What this actually is, what the market looks like, what it really costs, and how much of your time it wants — before you spend anything.

Buying it Moderate
Installing it Moderate
Living with it Easy
Up front

No reliable public figure — get quotes per opening.

Lead time

Hardware often in stock; rated doors and frames may take weeks

Time to install

Varies per opening, plus alarm wiring — no reliable figure

How it works

A fire-rated door assembly — door, frame, hardware and any glazing — is fire-tested as a unit, and its self-closer makes sure it ends up shut. An electromagnetic holder on the wall, or a combined closer-holder, keeps the door open while it has power. When the fire alarm activates or a local smoke detector trips, power to the holder is cut and the closer swings the door shut. Wedges and kick-down stops on fire doors are prohibited because they defeat exactly this.

Who needs it

Any building with rated walls, stairwells or corridors under the IBC (US) or NBC (Canada) — the doors are required; the hold-opens make sense wherever those doors need to stay open in daily use.

Codes, standards and listings

Canada
National Building Code of Canada for where rated doors are required; door fire tests to CAN/ULC-S104.
United States
IBC for where rated doors are required; NFPA 80 for installation and annual inspection; NFPA 105 for smoke doors; door fire tests to UL 10C; door holders listed to UL 228.

What the market looks like

Sold through door hardware distributors and installers, with the alarm release wired in by an electrical or fire alarm contractor. LCN (Allegion) makes closers and holder-closers, dormakaba makes door hardware, and Edwards makes magnetic door holders. We found no reliable public prices per opening.

Features that actually matter

Rated assembly
The rating belongs to the whole assembly, not just the door leaf.
Fail-safe release
Loss of power — from the alarm or a fault — releases the door.
Wall magnet or closer-holder
Separate electromagnetic holders, or closers with the hold-open built in.
Smoke doors
Doors intended to limit smoke spread are covered separately by NFPA 105 in the US.

What it really costs

Up front
No reliable public figure — get quotes per opening.
Consumables
None.
What else you'll need
Wiring to the fire alarm panel or a local smoke detector.
Over five years
Annual fire door assembly inspection under NFPA 80. No reliable public figure — get quotes.

We found no reliable public price source per opening in Canada or the US, so no figures are given. Get quotes from a door hardware installer and your alarm contractor.

How it differs from the alternatives

Versus wedges and kick-down stops
These are prohibited on fire doors. A listed hold-open device is the compliant way to keep a fire door open.
Versus battery acoustic hold-opens
Battery-powered devices that release on hearing an alarm are popular in the UK. We could not confirm that they are listed for North American use — check the listing before buying one.
01

Buying it

Effort Moderate

Where: Door hardware distributors and installers; an electrical or fire alarm contractor ties the release into the alarm system.

Lead time: Hardware often in stock; rated doors and frames may take weeks

Buy listed hardware and confirm it is compatible with the existing door's rating before installing anything on it.

02

Installing it

Effort Moderate

Time: Varies per opening, plus alarm wiring — no reliable figure

You'll need: Door hardware installer · Electrician or fire alarm contractor

Drilling or modifying a rated door outside its listing can void the rating.

03

Living with it

Effort Easy

Annual inspection of fire door assemblies by a qualified person under NFPA 80. Check that each door actually closes and latches when released.

If not this, then what

  • Keep the doors closedThe free option, if traffic allows it.
  • Closer-integrated holderCombines closer and hold-open in one unit instead of a separate wall magnet.

Caveats

  • Wedges and kick-down stops on fire doors are prohibited.
  • Battery-powered acoustic hold-open devices (popular in the UK) are generally not known to be listed for North American use — we could not verify any listing.
  • We found no reliable public prices per opening.
Our verdict

If people are propping fire doors open, a listed hold-open device fixes the behaviour and the compliance problem at once. Keep the door, frame and hardware within the listing, and inspect them every year.

We don't take payment for placement and we don't sell these products. If you think we've got something wrong here, tell us — we'll correct it.

Sources

  1. LCN

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