If your property is a business, commercial premises, public building or multi-occupancy dwelling, depending on the size of your property, the installation of fire doors is required by law to help ensure the safety of your building’s occupants in the event of a fire.
What Do Fire Doors Do?
A passive element of fire protection, fire doors are (when installed correctly) designed to slow and stop the spread of fire; withstanding it for (most commonly) 30 minutes or 60 minutes, depending upon the certified rating of the fire door and location.
The key functions of fire doors are to:
- Compartmentalise the building to slow down the spread of fire and smoke into neighbouring areas
- Give time – protecting escape routes and providing time for building occupants to evacuate safely.
- Withstand fire for a set amount of time, depending on their certified rating ( FD30 /FD60).
- Help to block smoke and other gases from passing through to other areas of the building
What Makes Up a Standard Compliant Fire Door?
There are several key components which a fire door installation must include to meet safety standards:
- Fire-Resistant Materials: The main fire door/door leaf is most commonly constructed of materials including solid timber, steel, aluminium and/or gypsum.
- Intumescent Strips: Heat-activated, these strips are fitted around a door edge and expand in a fire to fill any gaps between the door and frame to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.
- Fire Door Glazing: Vision panels constructed with fire-rated glass are used to maintain visibility through doors while withstanding high temperatures.
- Door Closers: With a spring-loaded or hydraulic mechanism, door closers force a door closed when not in use, automatically shutting it and helping to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
- Hinges, Locks and Latches: All hardware for a fire door must be fire-rated to allow the doors to remain secure in the event of a fire but still operable.
- Signage: Affixed to both sides of the door, a fire door sign featuring ’ Fire Door Keep Shut’ helps to identify these safety doors to building users and convey the importance of them being shut at all times.
What Makes Doorfit’s PROTUS Range Different?
When it comes to fire door installations using traditional onsite joinery, you will often find that fire doors are supplied with separate components, the assembly of which can be time-consuming and inconsistent in results. This type of onsite installation requires careful assembly, whilst also ensuring that each element meets the certified fire protection standards.
Our PROTUS doorset range removes the ‘guesswork’ in compliance. Most of the fire door assembly is completed by us off-site, meaning an efficient and fast installation. With components which have already been fitted and tested, you get peace of mind knowing your door is built to comply right from the start.
Each of our PROTUS range includes all of the components for your fire door installation: door leaf, door frame, smoke seals, glazing and all necessary fire-rated hardware
Find out more about the PROTUS range: Click Here.
One Supplier for a Complete Solution
Looking for a fully compliant door set solution? Get in touch with the experts. Here at Doorfit, we offer complete supply and installation services for fire doorsets, including commercial fire doors and communal and flat entrance doors.