What also needs to be attached to fire doors are intumescent pads that add an extra-tough barrier for fire and smoke to get through. The same rule applies if the door leaf itself drops within the frame, leaving obvious gaps through which flames could enter. Fire-rated hinges must comply with BS EN 1935Īgain, they need to be CE marked and compliant with BS EN 1935, and due to the importance of a tight fit, when they're showing signs of wear, all three must be replaced. (Three hinges are necessary to prevent the door from warping). Hinges represent an essential part of fire door performance and there should be a minimum of three hinges that are screwed tightly into place. Fire-rated hingesĪnother type of fire door hardware you'll find are hinges - which sit in between the door and door frame when the door leaf is in a closed position. In the event of you having to cut into the door to fit a secure mortise lock, it's imperative that you avoid leaving any gaps inside the door itself.įire is very unforgiving and if there's a gap in which the fire can get, it risks the entire integrity of the door in question. Typically speaking we'd recommend the following options for your fire door: Needing to comply with BS EN 12209, these fire-rated locks and latches hold the door within the door frame to protect building occupants. Next, we look at the next group of components you'll find on compliant timber fire doors - locks and latches.Ī vital part of the job a fire door does is only made possible when it's kept firmly shut and it's able to remain so due to the locks and latches that are installed. So, if it's an FD 60-rated door, you shouldn't fit an FD 30-rated handle.ĭoing so would just diminish the door's ability to hold back the flames and contravenes current UK fire door regulations. What's important to note is that you should always match the door handle to the rating of the door. Logically, an FD 30 fire door is rated to provide 30 minutes of protection, whereas an FD 60 offers twice as much - 60 minutes. When fitting a new fire door, the supplier should give you a datasheet that details the exact door hardware you'll need to install.įire-rated door handles come rated as either FD 30 or FD 60, which essentially relates to the amount of time they're rated for. Do fire doors require special handles?Īs we've already alluded to, yes, fire doors do require special door handles to maintain their ability to hold back fire in order to protect lives and further property damage. It's natural to wonder whether the door hardware fitted to fire doors also needs to be rated for fire safety & that's what we examine here.īy reading on, you'll gain a better understanding of the need to have not just fire-rated door handles, but also fire door hardware. But what about door handles & other door hardware? This CE Mark needs also to be supported by a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and 3rd-party certification from schemes like BWF CERTIFIRE.Īs we'll see as we progress through the article, components installed on certified fire doors also need to be approved by bodies like CERTIFIRE or they become invalidated. You'll notice when installing a compliant fire door that it features a CE Mark which denotes 'fire resisting doors' that can be relied upon if and when the time comes. Comprehensive fire door testing is carried outĮach fire door then goes through rigorous testing to ensure that they meet all fire safety requirements to be used in this way. Fire doors are innovatively designed to stop a blaze in its tracks with special safety features that can stop the damage from spreading.Īs such, they're manufactured to the strictest standards, having to comply to BS 476 Part 22 in the United Kingdom and BS EN 1634 Part 1 in Europe.
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