10 Things To Know About Fire Doors
Fire doors are an integral part of a building’s passive fire protection. These fire-rated doors help save lives and property – if you are a building owner or manager then it is important that you can recognise the differences between a standard door and a purpose-made fire-rated door. Here are some facts to consider with regards to fire doors:
1. Why Fire Doors Are Important
The main function of a fire door is to contain all elements of a fire outbreak inside the area or room in which it has originated. Fire doors stop and delay the spread of any flame, heat, or smoke to adjoining areas.
2. What Fire Doors Do
They help contain and ‘compartmentalise’ any fire outbreak, thus potentially saving lives and minimising damage to the building itself. Fire doors protect the escape routes out of the building, creating time and opportunity for any occupants to evacuate the building and for the emergency services to attend and deal with the fire.
3. How Fire Doors Work
Fire doors prevent the spread of a fire outbreak for a specific amount of time. FD30 doors will contain the fire elements for a minimum of thirty minutes, whilst an FD60 door will perform the same function for sixty minutes and so on. Fire doors are fitted with intumescent seals which are a vital component of an effective fire rated doorset. The materials used to make intumescent seals are poor conductors of heat, thereby swelling immediately they are exposed to excess temperatures. In expanding quickly they seal the gap between the door frame and the fire door itself, therefore preventing the spread of flames and potentially toxic smoke to any other area.
4. How Fire Doors Are Made
Fire doors are constructed with a combination of different materials. They are thicker than standard doors and have a solid core of wood or, in some cases, steel. All fire doors are designed, constructed, and tested to specific levels to allow official certification from an approved fire testing centre. All commercial fire doors need to have compliance tags and identification on display. These tags carry further information about the actual fire rating of the doorset and confirm the fire-resistance level it displays. A compliance tag also indicates that the purpose made fire door has been tested and installed to the correct standards. The compliance tag should contain information such as the level of fire resistance (FD60 for 60 minutes, FD90 for 90 minutes and so on), the date of manufacture, the item serial number along with the name of the independent certifier and the owner.
5. How Long Do Fire Doors Last
Fire doors will resist all fire elements for time stated in the fire door rating (FD60, 90, 120 etc.). This is dependent upon being properly installed with the other relevant fire door features such as intumescent seals, fire-rated hardware, and door closers. Regular fire door inspections MUST be performed to ensure ongoing fire protection.
6. Fire Doors Are A Legal Requirement
All business, commercial properties and public buildings must have relevant fire doors installed as a legal requirement. Any residential apartments, flats and house of multiple occupation are also subject to these mandatory requirements. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets out the legal requirements for these buildings. A ‘Responsible Person’ is assigned and formerly nominated for each building, and it is their responsibility to perform fire risk assessments and ensure that all fire doors are installed in the relevant places and are fully maintained.
7. Where Fire Doors Are Needed
Although not a legal requirement, fire doors add extra protection in any house or bungalow and are recommended. Any new build homes that are being constructed with three or more floors MUST have fire doors fitted to every room that leads to a stairwell. This also applies to any residence that contains a loft conversion. Any home with an integral garage must have a fire door fitted between the garage and the house. As stated earlier, all houses of multiple occupation (HMO’s) and residential flats must be fitted throughout with internal fire doors at all relevant points.
8. Fire Doors Can Be Painted
Although fire doors are constructed with specific fire-resistant materials their safety aspects are not compromised by the types of paint used in the door finish. You can paint your fire doors with regular decorative paint.
9. Fire Doors Need To Be Closed
The only time a fire door can be left open is with a legal fire door retainer or a free-swing door closer. You CANNOT prop or wedge a fire door open for any reason. All fire doors must be fitted with automatic self-closing devices, or its’ safety features are rendered ineffective.
10. Fire Doors Should Be Competently Installed
Fire doors should always be fitted by a recognised ‘competent individual’. Anyone installing fire doors should have had specific training and instruction in doing so. Regardless of the quality of the fire door, if it is installed incorrectly, then it will not perform its’ safety functions in the event of a fire outbreak.
Find out more about different types of fire door
Fire doors are manufactured in different styles and with different additional functions. You can get bespoke fire-resistant flush doors with timber frames that function as normal entry and exit point doors or as acoustic, sound regulating doors, or extra-toughened security doors, all finished with veneered panels in a range of timbers.
If you are the responsible person for fire safety in your building, then you should ensure that all your doorsets are appropriate and fit for purpose – you should speak to an established and respected bespoke door manufacturer for advice and guidance.
Enfield Doors
If you would like to find out more about fire door safety in the UK, we can help. Our team of experts is on hand to guide you and give you sound and pragmatic advice based on years of experience and successful installations.
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