Door Sweeps

Door Sweeps vs. Automatic Door Bottoms: Which One for Your Opening?

A door sweep is a fixed seal attached to the door bottom that drags on the threshold as the door opens. It provides a basic seal against drafts, insects, and light weather infiltration. An automatic door bottom uses a plunger mechanism when the door closes and the plunger contacts the door stop, the seal drops to close the gap. When the door opens, the plunger retracts and the seal lifts, eliminating the drag that door sweeps create on carpet and raised thresholds. For high-traffic commercial entries and any door where reducing sweep drag on the floor material matters, specify an automatic door bottom.

Smoke Control Gasketing on Fire-Rated Door Assemblies

NFPA 80 requires intumescent gasketing or smoke seals on fire-rated door assemblies. The seal must expand in a fire event to block smoke infiltration through the door-to-frame gap. Pemko makes UL-listed intumescent seals for 20-minute through 3-hour fire door assemblies. For any fire-rated exterior or interior door where smoke control is required, both the perimeter seal and the door bottom seal must be UL listed for the assembly's fire rating. See thresholds and gasketing overview here.

ADA Requirements for Door Threshold Height

ADA-compliant thresholds on accessible route entries must be no more than 1/2 inch high with a beveled edge no steeper than 1:2. If the door sweep or door shoe raises the effective threshold height above ADA limits, it must be replaced with a recessed or automatic door bottom that doesn't raise the threshold profile above floor level.

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