Measure and verify ADA opening-force and closer-speed compliance for interior doors during a punch-list accessibility walk.
domain: access-board.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Measure interior door opening force with a calibrated force gauge and confirm it does not exceed 5 lbf of continuous force to fully open, excluding the initial force needed to break a compressed seal.
Time the closer's sweep to confirm the door takes at least the minimum required time to travel from about 90 degrees open to about 12 degrees from the latch.
Check that operable hardware (levers, panic hardware) requires no more than 5 lbf to operate and doesn't require tight grasping, pinching, or wrist twisting.
Confirm mounting height of operable hardware falls within the accessible reach range.
Flag exterior and fire-rated doors separately, since those are governed by different allowable force provisions, and document the applicable exception rather than applying the interior figure.
Known gotchas
The 5 lbf limit applies specifically to interior, non-fire-rated doors — fire doors and exterior hinged doors are subject to different allowances, so don't flag a fire door closer as non-compliant using the interior figure.
Measurement technique matters — testing at the wrong point on the door or including the initial breakaway force from a compressed weatherseal produces an inflated reading.
Force and closing-speed adjustments interact: increasing spring power to fix a latching problem can push opening force out of compliance, so both must be re-verified together after any adjustment.
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