fire doors

 

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For a start fire doors will, of course, provide increased safety because they are designed to slow the spread of fire, allowing building occupants to escape safely via a protected route. For most of us, the image of a fire door conjures up heavy, unattractive doors - the kind you see in hospitals and other public buildings. The good news is that there are fire door designs on the market to suit any décor, from simple flush doors to moulded designs. And while they may be heavier than a standard door, they certainly won’t look out of place and they may provide far better sound insulation.

The most important consideration when you are buying or discussing the requirement for fire doors with a building contractor is to insist that doors have been tested to perform in the event of a fire. Fire doors should be correctly designed, manufactured, fitted and maintained. And it’s important that all the elements of the door assembly - frame, hinge, seals and the ironmongery are compatible. The British Woodworking Federation, which runs the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, recommends the purchase of complete doorsets which include all the compatible elements. It is very important to remember that the existing frame and ironmongery are probably not fire rated so must be replaced as required by the installation instructions attached to the new fire door. Also intumescent seals must be added.

Once a fire door has been installed with all the compatible components, you do need to think about proper maintenance. If a fire does break out, the door needs to perform its vital role of preventing the spread of a fire. Wear and tear and lack of maintenance may mean that it will not do its job. Fire doors produced by members of the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme are supplied with detailed installation, care and maintenance advice.