A fire door could be one of the most important pieces of safety equipment in any large building. In public spaces and multiple occupancy dwellings they are a standard requirement for good reason. Most of the time a fire door operates like any other door. In an emergency situation, however, fire doors are a sophisticated ‘passive fire protection system’. Unlike ‘active fire protection systems’, such as extinguishers and sprinkler systems, a fire door uses the building structure and planning to fight potential fires. This month we will be explaining exactly how fire doors help to fight fire.
Fire doors are self-closing
Possibly the most important feature of a fire door is the self-closing mechanism, which does exactly as its name suggests. Every time a fire door is opened, it closes automatically and ensures the first line of defence against a fire is always in place. Without this feature, the fire door could fail to do its job simply by being left open.
Fire doors are sealed
Now that the fire door is firmly shut at all times, the next clever feature of a fire door can do its work. Certain types of fire door are sealed with strips that expand when exposed to high temperatures and others are lined with gaskets that perform the same duty. These seals prevent the ingress of smoke and toxic gases to other rooms of a building which a fire has not yet reached. Smoke causes drowsiness and disorientation and because of this it is a bigger danger to occupants than a fire’s flames.
Fires in domestic settings are more likely to occur at night when occupants are asleep. Retaining oxygen in a room and keeping smoke at bay gives victims of fire the best chance to stay alert and evacuate in time. In large public buildings with many people inside, sealed fire doors buy valuable time to safely evacuate large numbers of people.
Fire doors are tough
The two common types of fire door are made of timber or steel. Timber is a popular option for internal fire doors as they have a more traditional appearance. They also operate in the usual manner, allowing people and goods to flow through a building freely. Though they look and operate as normal, timber fire doors are tested to ensure a safety rating of 30-60 minutes of fire protection. It is lighter and more user-friendly than steel, but a timber fire door is still an effective internal barrier to fire.
Steel fire doors are more resistant than their timber counterparts and can be rated up to 4 hours of fire protection. Steel is the best option for external doors as they also prevent fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. Other features such as ‘panic bars’ can be fitted to external steel doors and these devices offer a single point of contact to unlock the door and allow easy evacuation of people inside a building.
Both types of fire door delay the spread of fire by reducing its supply of oxygen and physically blocking the path with robust materials. The more time a fire service has to tackle a fire, the more likely that occupants will be safe and minimal damage will occur to property. All aspects of a fire door are well-designed to provide as much time as possible to escape and fight fire.
At Safe & Secure we supply all types of fire doors and fire-resistant roller shutters that meet these high standards. For more information give us a call or send us an email.