Fire Doors: Combination Of Traditions & Technology

A Fire Door is a type of entrance or closure used as a reflexive fire protection measures within office suites, high-rise structures, hospitals, health-care facilities, hotels and motels and other public spaces to prevent the spread of fire. It is usually the only means of allowing people to pass through a fire-resistance rated wall assembly. Fire Doors are made of a combination of materials such as steel, gypsum (as an endothermic fill) and vermiculite-boards. Edges of a Fire Door usually need to have fire rated seals which can be composed of an intumescing strip (which expands 600 times under heat) and Neoprene weather-strips. Most Fire Doors should be kept closed at all times, however some are designed to stay open under normal circumstances, only to shut automatically or manually in the event of a fire. All Fire Doors UK must be fitted with a self-closing mechanism that is capable of closing the door tight against the stop of its frame, and can overcome any resistance from a latch or lock. Proper bounding of these Doors should be routinely checked and ensured. New technologies and testing techniques, coupled with a shifting regulatory environment, are creating new unknowns for architects looking to specify fire-resistant doors and windows.