What is a Fire Door?
Forming an important aspect of a building’s Passive Fire Protection System, Fire Doors have a primary purpose of slowing the spread of fire and smoke, offering building occupants the opportunity to escape safely in the event of a fire. Well-functioning Fire Doors will further enhance the ability to control the fire spread by restricting it to the smallest area possible, providing the emergency services greater opportunity to tackle the fire safely and limit any resulting damage to the building.
Every Fire Door is required to act as an adequate fire barrier in its own right. Fire Doors generally fall within the most commonly assigned 30-minute or 60-minute periods, however, where required, Fire Door’s can be assigned as 90-minute or even 120-minute periods.
We must remember; a Fire Door is only one component of a Fire Doorset. It is crucial that all components are to an acceptable standard. These other components include; the door frame, intumescent, hinges and glass to name but a few.
It is worthwhile considering that your Fire Doors may be taken for granted. They need to be able to perform in the event of a fire, yet also provide a regular thoroughfare, generating natural wear and tear contributing to potential damage. It is therefore essential that Fire Doors are inspected regularly to capture any signs of damage. This can then allow a planned approach by way of suitable Fire Door repairs or replacement, as a damaged Fire Door will simply not hold back fire for the required period.