Why do you need a fire door?
Fire doors are often the first line of defence against a fire, whether that’s at work or at home. Fire doors play a vital role in slowing down the movement of a fire and through a building. This minimises damage, and also potential threat to life that can occur because of a fire by protecting the safe ways out of a building, as well as occupants in a building that has a ‘stay put’ fire plan.
Fire doors in stairwells and corridors can keep the escape routes in buildings free of smoke, and allow firefighters to move through a building as easily as possible to ensure everybody gets out of the building safely, and where possible a fire is put out.
Fire Door Awareness
Since the tragic aftermath of the Grenfell Fire, awareness around fire doors, particularly in high rise buildings, has grown. It is strongly recommended that property managers, landlords, tenants and homeowners, particularly owners of flats, check that their fire doors in:
- Doors leading to stairwells
- Corridors
- Front doors of flats
- Internal doors where the layout could cause problems if there was a fire
- Internal doors in multiple occupancy homes
- Bin storage and cupboards that contain electrical services as these are at a higher risk of combustion
Never assume a fire door is certified. Just because a door is labelled as a fire door, and looks like it is a fire doors, doesn’t mean it is fit for purpose.
Door markings, and third party certification are good indicators that a fire door meets the requirements of a fire door. They normally mean the door has been tested properly and the manufacturer has carried out the proper checks to ensure the consistency of the specification of the door. If a door does not have these marks or certification, there is no guarantee that it is fit for purpose. This is a risk particularly in older buildings.
As well as this, it is not just the door that needs to meet these high standards to be fit for purpose. It is important that all components meet the same high standards to ensure the fire door can do its job properly and keep the property and the people in it safe from potential fire risks.
It is important to check the:
- Door leaf
- Linings and frame
- Seals, including smoke seals where required
- Latches, locks and hinges
- Door closers and signage if required
- Any other ironmongery needed
- The glazing system where the fire door has a glazed element
- Frame/wall/threshold sealing
It is essential to remember that a fire door can only do its job if it is closed. If a fire door has been wedged open for ease of movement through a building, it will be completely useless in the even of a fire.
Here at Covers we offer a range of our doors, in popular styles, rated to at least an FD30 rating, or even FD60 rating. Purchasing from us means you can be assured that your fire door is certified to appropriate regulations. We also have people in our depots who can advise you on any questions you have about fire doors and their associated products.