Fire doors are doors made to resist fire for as long as possible. A quality fire-rated door is a crucial part of a building’s safety infrastructure. They are a standard feature of a passive fire protection system and work to limit the spread of fire throughout a building.
Before adding fire doors, you should consider how they are going to work in your building’s safety infrastructure. Some things you should think about is configuration, materials and components.
Fire Door Configurations
Fire doors are used throughout a wide variety of industries and accommodate different aspects and layouts of a building. Some of the possible configurations of fire-rated doors include:
Hinged fire doors
Hinged fire doors are the most common dors that you will find in most buildings and homes. These doors are mounted with a standard hinged fitting and are perfectly suited for general use in commercial and residential applications. Hotels and apartments use these doors where it is a requirement that they are rated to a one-hour minimum.
Double Action Fire Doors
Double action fire doors are useful in buildings where bi-directional traffic is common. They provide more space for people to pass each other.
Sliding fire doors
Sliding fire doors work well to compartmentalise flame and smoke. They are often used in numerous high-risk industries.
Heritage fire doors
Fire regulations still apply to buildings that are protected by their heritage status as they are often more susceptible to fires. Many doors in the country are protected because of their heritage status. These doors can be upgraded to fire doors and customised so that they keep their aesthetic, but improve on their fire safety rating.
Material
There is a wide range of materials that fire doors can be constructed from including glass, MDF, gypsum, timber and metal. You should consider the following factors before selecting your fire door material.
- Fire door ratings can range from 1 hour and 4 hours depending on the door. Consider the type of building that the doors are going in to and the fire-resistance rating that you need to meet for the building.
- How thick you need the door to be. Certain materials have limitations around how thick they can be. Some materials will only be certifiable as a fire door over a certain thickness.
- Design choices will play a part in what you choose. While functionality is the priority, choice of materials will give an interior designer some freedom to tailor the fire doors to the building’s internal and external look.
- Durability and strength are probably the most important factors of fire doors. If exposed to the elements or a high traffic area, it will get a lot of wear over time. This means that it will have to be just as resilient.
Different Components and Hardware
Many parts make up a fire door. Separate to the materials being used for the door itself, the components like hinges, frames and handles are just as important. Details are everything and while the door does most of the work, the components that make up the rest are what makes them truly effective. Some things that you might find as part of fire-rated doors include:
- Intumescent seals around the edges of the door are designed to expand when heated to over 200°C, creating a seal around the edges of the door and frame.
- Automatic door closers should be fitted so that the door closes and stops the spread of smoke and fire.
- Locks must always meet the most current Building Code of Australia regulations when fitted and new locks must be fitted to meet the latest standard when replaced. All locks must be self-latching and cannot have a hold open feature.
- Panic bars must be fitted where large crowds may be exiting simultaneously.
Ashes Fire Group are your Melbourne fire door experts. Specialising in fire-rated doors, fire windows, passive fire protection and ESM Inspections. We supply and deliver fire doors to Melbourne and throughout Victoria.
If you want like to learn more about how to protect your building from fire, contact us today. To book a quote, phone 1300 646 860 or email ashesfiregroup@gmail.com.