Do I Really Need To Install Fire-rated Doors?
If you find yourself asking this important question, then you have arrived at the right place for comprehensive knowledge and finely-manufactured bespoke fire-rated doors.
At Fire Doors Rite we have all the know-how and experience to advise on all fire-rated door technologies, what they have brought to the building industry, and more importantly their impact on fire safety and life-saving interventions. We’ll be able to provide all the relevant information about Fire-rated Doors to give you the assurance you need when deciding which might be the best option for your circumstance.
What are Fire-rated doors?
What makes fire-rated doors different to regular doors is that they will stop the passage of flames and smoke during a building fire for an extended period of time. Unlike regular doors, they are manufactured to withstand high temperatures too, enabling the isolation of the fire within a room or space to allow the building occupants adequate time to exit safely whilst minimising the potentially hazardous physical effects of the fire.
Fire-rated doors or fire doors are usually found in offices, hotels, warehouses and other commercial buildings where protecting numerous occupants and limiting the damage to the property is paramount in the event of a fire. Should you be the owner of such a building then you must install fire-rated doors for the protection of those using your building. There are other applicable rules guiding the installation of fire doors in domestic settings.
Fire doors, frames and glazing can be made from a wide range of materials and finishes, all with the same purpose of withstanding temperature, flame and smoke for a specified time. The practical evacuation of a building during a fire demands that internal fire doors are well-maintained, can be made to automatically close if open, are kept unlocked and that escape routes are logical and kept free from obstacles.
What is THE rating FOR Fire-rated Doors?
Fire door ratings define the number of minutes during which a door can withstand heat. Our fire-rated doors can withstand 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. For example, our FD90 fire doors can maintain their fire-resistant integrity for 90 minutes, or an hour and a half. The rating reflects the circumstances under which a fire in one place might require isolation from other spaces within a building, for instance, to allow adequate time for fire fighters to attend the scene before specialist equipment is compromised, or until all occupants have evacuated the building in the case of caring for hospital patients.
The transmission of heat between spaces is just as important as isolating flames or smoke, which is why all our fire doors are certified to the strictest British and European manufacturing standards. We advise all our fire doors must be installed by competent specialists.
What are the advantages of a fire-rated door?
Well-maintained and properly installed, your fire-rated doors form an integral asset to your building’s passive fire protection system and can enhance the appearance and accessibility of your premises. Whether you require 30 minutes rated doors or 90 min fire doors, Fire Doors Rite has a quality-designed range of doors that look the part whilst providing you with peace of mind.
Which of my doors need to be fire-rated?
Different buildings and specific areas within buildings can be more vulnerable to fire and more dangerous than others, which is why specialist guidance must be adhered to concerning the specific circumstances. The design of a building will determine the type and/or rating of all doors that must be installed, will consider vertical and horizontal escape routes and will include all compulsory safety signage, either lit or unlit. Non-domestic buildings are considerably different from one another, requiring unique and individually-catered solutions.
Domestic dwellings more than two storeys high have requirements too. For instance, a loft conversion will require the owner to obtain fire doors for each room, excluding bathrooms and toilets, at every level leading onto the stairwell. A fire door is needed between a house and garage, and in the case of a mixed-use building a fire door must properly separate the different uses.
Throughout the many variations and specifications tailored to your needs, fire-rated doors all provide a singular purpose: to protect life and property in the event of a fire.
