At what locations? Anywhere in the home? Not in my area.
In my opinion, it is clearly less than 18" from the exterior walking surface. I haven’t seen anything yet that differentiates between inside and outside.
1 Like
I think it is inside or outside. Code does not differentiate. But remember, it must meet all 4 of the criteria. This does not cover wet areas, stairs, guards etc. They have their own guidelines.
Unless you are performing a code inspection, it falls under cosmetics & design.
2 Likes
Forget the door, I would recommend tempered glass for safety and let the buyer decide. If someone falls through that window, it can kill them. Accidents do happen and they cannot say you did not tell them. CYA, very simple.
The IRC code, unless amended locally to say otherwise, requires it for a good reason.
PS: in school my hand was pushed through a regular glass window. It left a nasty scar, could’ve been much worse. This was a small window and it was only my hand.
4 Likes
The End 
3 Likes
Morning, Chiss.
Hope this email finds you and your loved ones well, and that you are keeping busy during retirement, if that is what you paned.
Financially, freedom 75 or 80 appears to be in my financial cards at the moment if I pay my cards right. Mostly my fault.
By law, a walking surface means, “any direct 'access surface to the attractions or change rooms where the user will be in bare feet.” Areas set aside for picnicking, sunbathing, and lounging are excluded.
2012: IRC: All walks, Sidewalks, halls, corridors, aisles, and other spaces that are part of an accessible route shall provide a minimum clear width of 36 inches , except at doors.
They wrote a law that defined walking surface? Bare feet?
Yes. Makes sense just like code is a government regulation. Likely many cases are lodged by a plaintiff that suffered damages from walking surfaces. Not maintaining, poor barrier safety.
Mother, God rest here soul, suffered damages due to ice. She won her case.
1 Like
This is my favored definition.
WALKING SURFACE. A walking surface is the area most commonly used for walking and common travel. Interior walking surface are floors and stairs and are fabricated from common products such as wood, carpet, tile and concrete. Exterior walking surfaces are paths, stairs and driveways leading to and from the building unit of common travel and are fabricated from common products such as wood, pavers, asphalt, concrete, tile, wood chips and gravel.
Grass like vegetation and landscape planting bed areas are not considered a walking surface.
Would you care to share a comment with that photo?
I hope you’re open to a different opinion. I read that differently, if we look at the words after your highlight in Section 1. “in the PLANE of the door in a closed position”. Neither of the glazed units in this case meet that criteria. The foyer wall in the picture means that there is more than 180° from the hinge side of the in-swinging door (again, in the plane of the door in a closed position) and the other unit is away from the hinge side. This kind of nuance in language and wording interests me. Can you see how I would think that way?
“In the Plane of the door” is the critical point. Not sure what that means.
The image is conflicting. I am curious if Code Check is a 3rd party from ICC.
I think this window fits the criteria for safety glass, regardless of the door.
For your enjoyment 
That is for anyone that has time on their hands. Though this is just a little bit different as far as window location.
I view the graphic as having to do with which way the door swings. The main picture is from the inside of the house so the door is presumed to swing inwards. The lower right is a top view iterating that a window not in the path of the door travel is not required to be safety glass.
2 Likes
So, perpendicular walls not on the hinge side do not need safety glazing?
That’s kinda how I’m seeing it. What would the danger be I guess is the question to ask? Why is the safety glass required on the knob side on a parallel wall? Is it because the door could get slammed, causing the glass to break? 
1 Like