It is not uncommon for apartments to have exterior decks, balconies or patios. A recent interpretation by the HUD Department of Fair Housing, however, made it difficult for door manufacturers to provide doors to these spaces that did not permit water to penetrate underneath the door into the apartment.
The reason for this difficulty was a very low height limit that was placed on the threhold of those doors as part of the “visitibility” requirements of HUD.
A proposal from AAMA was approved during the ICC Group A Code Development Hearings that will permit the higher thresholds needed to resist water penetration under these doors. These higher thresholds can only be used when a permitted step down from the interior space to the exterior deck, balcony or patio is taken.