Regarding fire safety, one of the most important elements in domestic and commercial buildings is the fire door. But what is a fire door, and how does it contribute to protecting lives and property in the event of a fire? Understanding the role of fire doors, how they work, and why fire door installation and maintenance are critical for fire protection is important.
At Yeoman Shield, a qualified company with a Fire Accreditation Scheme (FIRAS), we provide a full range of fire door services to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the premises.
Click here, call 0113 279 5854 or email info@yeomanshield.com no matter where in the UK you are based.
A fire door is a specially designed door that can withstand fire for a specified period, helping to contain the flames and prevent the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building. These doors provide an escape route, comply with fire regulations, and ensure people can safely exit a building during a fire. Fire doors are often required in residential buildings, commercial buildings, and domestic premises as part of building regulations.
Unlike a normal door, a fire door is constructed using fire-resistant materials, such as solid timber or steel, with additional features like smoke seals and intumescent strips that expand in the heat to seal large gaps. Modern doors are designed to meet strict fire door regulations and have a fire-resistance rating, which specifies how long the door can hold back fire and smoke. To make sure such doors don’t remain open after use, they have automatic closing devices.
Fire doors are not only designed to resist flames but also to block the passage of smoke, which can be just as dangerous as fire in a burning building. They work by:
Picking the right door will help prevent a vast majority of fires from spreading throughout your building.
Fire doors are generally required in any building where fire safety is a concern. Building regulations dictate that fire doors must be installed in certain locations to safeguard escape routes. For example, flat entrance doors in apartment buildings, entrance doors to habitable rooms, and doors on escape routes in commercial buildings are often required to be fire-rated.
In domestic buildings, fire doors may be required between a garage and the main house, or between living spaces and stairwells to protect escape routes. In residential premises such as flats or multi-occupancy houses, fire doors play a crucial role in compartmentalising sections of the building to contain fires and limit damage.
Making sure every entrance door or habitable room is protected with a fire door could be the difference between a safe escape route or not.
For a fire door to be effective, it must comply with fire door regulations and carry proper fire door certification. The Specialist Door Manufacturers Association and the British Woodworking Federation ensure that modern fire doors meet the necessary standards, providing certification for doors that have been tested and approved.
In the UK, the Fire Safety Order 2005 and building regulations set out where fire doors are required and how they should be performed. The responsible person must ensure all fire doors are properly installed and regularly maintained. Failure to comply with fire door regulations can result in severe penalties and compromise the safety of occupants. Making sure to have regular inspections will help keep your doors working to their full fire-resisting capabilities.
Correct fire door installation is essential to ensure the door performs as intended. Poor installation can render a fire door ineffective, leaving the building at risk during a fire. Installation must follow strict installation procedures, including fitting the door within the correct door frame that meets fire door frame regulations.
Once installed, fire doors require regular fire door maintenance and fire door inspections. These inspections ensure that the doors are functioning correctly, the self-closing devices are operational, and there are no large gaps around the door frame that could let fire and smoke through. Keeping fire doors properly maintained is not only a legal requirement but could save lives in an emergency.
The fire-resistance rating of a fire door refers to how long the door can hold back fire and smoke, measured in minutes. For example, FD30 fire doors are designed to resist fire for 30 minutes, while FD60 can withstand flames for up to 60 minutes. The fire resistance of the door, door frame, and additional features like smoke seals and intumescent strips are all crucial in achieving this level of protection.
Fire doors with higher fire ratings are typically used in areas of higher fire risk or in larger buildings where escape routes need to be protected for longer periods.
According to the regulatory reform (fire safety order), responsible persons such as building owners or employers are legally required to ensure fire doors are installed, maintained, and inspected according to fire door regulations. This means that the responsible person must keep track of what needs doing, and have at least the basic knowledge of fire extinguishers and what to do in the case of a fire. In cases where more technical knowledge is needed, the person responsible for fire safety can always contact a qualified company, such as Yeoman Shield.
Fire doors are a critical part of passive fire protection in residential and commercial buildings. They are designed to withstand fire, block smoke spread, and protect escape routes during a fire, ultimately helping to save lives. For fire doors to work effectively, they must be correctly installed, properly maintained, and inspected regularly to meet the required safety standards.
In short, what is a fire door? It’s a fire-rated barrier that plays a vital role in stopping the spread of fire and smoke, ensuring that occupants have enough time to evacuate safely.
To learn more about fire door services, don’t hesitate to contact Yeoman Shield today.
Our Address:
Yeoman Shield (Harrison Thompson & Co Ltd)
Yeoman House,
Whitehall Industrial Estate,
Whitehall Rd,
Leeds
LS12 5JB
01132795854
