Fire doors are defined as doors which are fire resistant. The door acts as a protection against fire by cutting the spread of fire from one part to the other. It is intended to be used in commercial establishments; however, it may be used in homes too. They can be fitted at the most vulnerable spots. For your home, this can be the door separating the kitchen from the rest of the home.
The doors do not necessarily stop the fire from spreading, but they slow the pace of spread.
All fire rated doors are rated by a certified agency. The British Woodworking Federation is a major organization which provides ratings for fire doors. The failure of doors can be quantified in 2 types.
- Integrity Failure- Integrity failure is meant to occur when in the case of fire the door remains intact however cracks and openings form through which flames and hot gases may pass.
- Stability Failure- Stability failure is defined as the failure of the entire door during an event of a fire.
The fire ratings for doors for integrity failure are as follows:-
- FD 30 for 30 mins of fire resistance.
- FD 60 for 60 mins of fire resistance.
- FD 90 for 90 mins of fire resistance.
- FD 120 for 120 mins of fire resistance.
The fire rated doors which are BWF certified carry a permanent tamper-evident label on them. It is very crucial for the door set to be fireproof and not just the door. The various external factors that determine fire resistance apart from the door are elaborated below.
- Automatic closing device The automatic closing device is essential for automatic closing of the door in case of fire.
- Gas or Smoke seals Smoke seals are important as they check the ingress of smoke or gas through the door.
- Automatic latching The doors when left open must close and get latched else the purpose of installing a fire rated door fails.
- Fire door frames and other external accessories should be of the same fire-resistant quality as the door.
- The door hinges must be properly secured; there should not be any gap between the door and door frame.
- If the door has a glass it must also be fire-resistant. It should be properly hinged onto the door.
Fire doors are gaining popularity and becoming a household thing. With the advancement in technology and strict industry regulations, the safety provided by the doors is priceless.