What is a Fire Resistant Door?
Probably the most fundamental element in understanding fire doors is to understand the concept of fire-resistant door sets. The Fire Rating Level (FRL), more commonly referred to as the “fire rating”, applies to the overall fire door assembly or system as installed, not to individual components.
Components of a Fire Resistant Doorset.
The first component is the fire-resistant wall in which the fire door is installed. It must have a fire rating in its own right. There are many different configurations that have been successfully tested and provided with an FRL. It is important that the chosen wall type has been tested with an opening and incorporating the different type (band) of fire doors to show that they can operate together to maintain the required FRL.
The second component of a fire-rated doorset is the door frame in which the door leaf is hinged or pivots. Traditional fire rated steel door frames contain a 25mm doorstop, this feature plays a major role in identifying a fire rated door frame. Steel door frames can be fixed into walls in many ways and are often backfilled to assist with fire ratings and acoustic properties.
The third component of a fire-rated doorset is the door leaf. Although there are many different door constructions the most common is that of a non-combustible core, reinforced at hardware fixing points with perforated metal plates and clad with ply or MDF facings and timber edge strips to all four sides.
The fourth component of a fire-rated doorset is the essential door hardware. Essential door hardware is the items of hardware that are required for the fire-rated doorset to achieve its FRL. For example, those items that allow the door to be self-closing and self-latching. Essential hardware may include –
Door hinges
Door lock
Door closer
Door meeting stiles (pairs of door only)
The fifth component of a fire-rated doorset is the non-essential door hardware. Non-essential door hardware is an item that is incorporated for additional functions or for aesthetic reasons and is not essential for the doorset to achieve it FRL.
Non-essential hardware may include –
Door viewers
Kick plates
Smoke or acoustic seals
The sixth component of a fire-resistant doorset is the installation. It is essential that all the item mentioned above are installed correctly and to manufactures guidelines. This is an important item and although not a physical item of the doorset itself, is nonetheless a very important item. Issues such as gaps or clearances, operational forces, and good workmanship all form an important part of this component.
Our experts are prepared to assist clients with carrying out the necessary inspections and analyses if they are interested in exploring the possibility of improving their facilities while maintaining reliable fire protection systems.
Our fire protection specialists can help you assess the risks at affected facilities and increase the confidence in your decisions regarding how best to manage your fire doors through the entire life cycle of the protection system or building.
From designing systems to retro-fits, ensuring compliance and effective fire control, and all the way through building business cases for installation and longterm maintenance, our services help you maximize capital use and investment, efforts, and reduce fire risk to your business.