The Importance of Fire Doors for Creating Safe Buildings
Fire doors save lives. They’re designed to stop the spread of fire and smoke for a specified amount of time. This serves three main functions:
- To protect escape routes so people can evacuate safely
- To protect the building and its contents
- To allow firefighters to extinguish the fire as safely as possible
Fire doors are an integral part of any building’s passive fire protection system. It protects Firefighters in corridors and stairwells so they can move around easily.. They are fitted with perimeter smoke seals to help reduce the levels of smoke by containing it, they are also a requirement in certain domestic situations, depending on the country’s local regulations, for example in flats.
Fire doors are manufactured to withstand the spread of fire for a given period of time, normally a minimum of 30 minutes. This allows time for inhabitants of a building to escape. A fire door will only work if it is closed when the fire breaks out, so you should always ensure that your fire door is fitted with an automatic door closer and a sign that identifies the door as a fire door. Moreover, fire doors need to be checked regularly to make sure they are fit for purpose. Any slight change to the door can affect its performance. Checks should be carried out every six months, or more often if it is a busy traffic area. You should ensure that the person fitting your fire doors has had the relevant training to do so. Whatever the rating of a fire door, if it is badly fitted, it may not withstand a fire for any more than 5 minutes.
Fire doors are fitted with self-closing devices so that if a fire breaks out, they close and will perform as intended. If a fire door is wedged open, it will not slow or stop the spread of fire. Using a fire door retainer or free-swing door closer will ensure that in the event of a fire the fire door will still automatically close, ensuring fire safety is maintained.
Many doors are available as fire doors, so there is a huge choice of designs including many finishes and glazing options. Fire doors are commonly sold as a complete ‘set’ including the frame and essential ironmongery, that holds the door in place in the event of fire. This is often a safer solution as the ‘door set’ should have been tested to ensure all elements are compatible. You can paint fire doors using regular decorative paint or varnish without damaging their performance. Avoid using heat or chemical paint strippers if the intumescent seals are in place, also avoid painting over any hinges, hardware or seals.
Fire rated doors can be a great way to add extra protection against fire in your home. But are they a legal requirement?
Fire doors are a legal requirement in all non-domestic properties, such as businesses, commercial premises, and public buildings. They are also required in residential flats and houses of multiple occupancy, for example:
Any new build or home renovation that has three or more floors must have fire doors fitted to every habitable room that leads from a stairwell. This applies to loft conversions where an extra floor has been added to a two-storey home.
Any door leading from your home into an integral garage must be a fire door.
The simple purpose of a fire door in everyday use is just as any other door. However, since a breakout of fire is never predictable, the fire door, unlike any other door, must then perform its prime purpose – to protect lives and offer protection to the remainder of the building and to other buildings.