What you need to know about a 30 Minute Fire Door

We’ve often talked about fire doors, and given the vital role that they can play we thought we would do so again.

Remember that if a fire breaks out people can have very little time to escape, and so it is vitally important that every effort is made to restrict the spread of the fire (and the accompanying smoke, which is in fact the major killer).

Internal fire doors play a vital role – allowing people to escape quickly and easily while simultaneously preventing the spread of the fire for as long as possible.  As you can imagine, this is something of a delicate balance, so it’s important that you speak to experts who can advise you not only on the practicalities but also on the appropriate legal and regulatory requirements.

What varieties of fire door products exist?

There is a wide range of options available, and the type of door that you install will of course depend upon the environment where it will be situated. Clearly in all cases you need to give people the maximum time to escape and the maximum protection – which door you choose will clearly depend upon where it is located (e.g. a school, hospital, other public building, office block etc.).

A common option is a 30 minute fire door.  As the name implies this type of door – which we refer to as an FD30 fire door – gives 30 minutes of fire resistance, which in many situations will be sufficient time for a complete and safe evacuation.

Let’s now look at some details of one of our FD30 30 minute fire doors:

1. 44mm Certified core to BS 476 Pt22:1987 or BS EN 1634-1:2014
2. Intumescent strips in the frame or the door (not both) (see below)
3. Certified glazing (insulating / non insulating)

Notes:

4. Available as a pre hung assembly
5. Must be installed by a competent person
6. If a 2 storey building has a door leading from an integral garage into the house then it must be a fire resistant door
7. New build or renovated properties with 3 story’s or more, including loft conversions, must have a fire doors to every habitable room off the stairwell

Intumescent strips are commonly fitted around the inner edge of the door frame, but can be installed in the top and sides of the door leaf if requested. Double doors will require one or more strips in the meeting edge of one leaf.

Note that if you are replacing or upgrading an existing door, it is very important to determine if the existing frame has intumescent strips fitted and that they are in first class condition. If they have been painted over or are damaged in any way then they must be replaced. If the frame does not have intumescent strips then your supplier can fit them to the door leaf perimeter for you.

Where to get your 30 minute fire doors from

As you’ve seen, especially if you’ve been following our articles over several months, it’s a complex topic, with lots of variables, a (justifiably) demanding legal/regulatory framework … and people’s lives are at risk if you get it wrong!

So as we’ve said it’s vital that you talk to experts who specialise in this area, and who can give you excellent advice and guidance based on years of successful installations and a large and satisfied customer base.

If you would like further information on our company please visit our home page or go directly to our contact page when we will respond as quickly as possible.