Install a fire door if you want to fireproof your home or business passively. These doors are specially made to prevent or slow down the spread of smoke or flames in case of a fire. They are made from gypsum, aluminum, timber and steel. Sometimes they come with ceramic or borosilicate windows, which are highly fire-resistant compared to regular glass, and fitted with anti-shuttering wire mesh.
The doors are fitted with flush frames, and any gaps are sealed with a silicon fire-resistant sealant to make them even more fireproof. An intumescent strip, which expands when heated, is fitted at the base to avert smoke from leaking underneath. The doors are also fitted with smoke seals to avoid the passage of smoke during the early stages of the fire.
What’s the Importance of a Fire Door?
For starters, fire doors limit the amount of oxygen available in the event of a fire, hence slowing down smoke and fire spread for a specific period. This gives you extra time to exit the building. However, fire doors aren’t entirely fireproof.
Fire doors come in different grades. The grades are based on how long the door can withstand fire. Most doors can last up to 30 minutes (FD30), 60 minutes (FD60), 90 minutes (FD 90) or 120 minutes (FD120). FD60 and FD30 are mainly used for residential and office buildings, while FD60 protects high-value buildings such as service centers and archives.
Most people pay more attention to the element of preventing fire spread and ignore the significance of the prevention of smoke inhalation. According to statistics, most people who die in fires do so due to smoke inhalation.
Fire doors also help protect personal assets and property while the firefighters are trying to combat the fire. They also act as shields for escape routes so that people can evacuate or be evacuated quickly.
Do I Need a Fire Door In My Flat Or House?
According to the state’s regulations, if you are renovating or building a home with three floors or more, you should have a fire door. These fire doors must be fitted in any habitable room next to a stairwell. This rule also applies to a loft conversion with an extra floor added to a two-story building.
Any door leading to an integral garage from your home must also be a fire door. An FD30 door is fit for this purpose. Since fire doors reduce fire spread, they can be fitted in high-risk areas such as the kitchen, boiler rooms or other areas with combustible materials.
If you have always wanted to know about fire doors, hopefully, you have learned what you needed to know. When properly installed and maintained, fire doors play a vital role in preventing fire and smoke spread, and saving lives. They are an integral part of developing a fire protection system and a vital requirement for most premises, including public buildings, residential homes, factories, and offices. However, they are not 100% fireproof, and therefore caution should be taken when handling combustible materials at all times at home or the place of business.
Because it holds back flames and smoke for an extended period, a fire door can be the difference between life and death in an emergency. But there’s a lot more that goes into fire doors than the door itself. To be an effective fire door, it must also have the proper type of lock.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about fire door locks and choosing the right locks for fire doors.
Why are different locks required for fire doors?
Fire door panels can be made of several different materials like timber, steel, aluminum, gypsum (for a filler) or Vermiculite boards. Regardless of the material, they must adhere to safety ratings imposed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for 20-, 45-, 60- or 90-minute fire protection. The door components, including locks, hinges, handles and more, must also meet these fire ratings.
If the door components, especially the locks, don’t meet the NFPA protection requirements, the door can fail and won’t protect the building’s occupants from smoke or flames. Fire door locks are typically made of high-quality steel, as this metal has a much higher heat tolerance than metals used for traditional locks, like brass or die-cast zinc.
When choosing the right locks for fire doors, it’s a good idea to consider a lock that’s attached to your building’s fire security system. When the door is opened, an alarm is triggered that alerts all building occupants and the local fire department that there is a fire somewhere in the building.
Balancing safety and security
A fire door lock must also be able to function as a standard lock to keep intruders out while allowing for easy exit in the event of a fire. So, building managers and property owners must find a way to balance occupant security with their safety should a fire ever break out. It’s essential that you hire a professional to not only install the fire door, but also to fit it with a lock that defends against intruders and flames.
Let us handle your fire door needs
As we just mentioned, you should always leave fire door installation to the pros—and when you need help, call our team at Artie’s Lock and Key. Here are a few reasons to choose us:
- Wide range of services: Our services extend beyond traditional locksmithing. On top of opening your business, home or car locks, we’re capable of installing and repairing fire doors with the proper locks.
- Forty years of experience: We have over four decades of experience performing all of our services. When you choose us, you can rest easy knowing the job will be done right the first time.
- Fast response time: There’s no need to wait around for someone to install your new fire door or open a lock. We’re dedicated to arriving ASAP to meet your needs.
Whether you need a team to install fire door locks or open up your locked car door, we’re standing by to assist. Give us a call today to see what we can do for you.
As a home or business owner, safety is likely one of your top priorities. Regardless of whether there are factors at play that might increase your fire risk, it’s important to consider fire safety in your home or business so you can protect yourself, your family, your employees and your property from the dangers of fire.
Fire doors are used to improve outcomes in the event of a fire and ensure that people in a home or business are able to make it to safety. Understanding more about fire doors in Fairfax, CA can help you improve your fire safety protocol at your property.
What are fire doors?
Fire doors are specialized doors that are designed to improve fire safety in homes and businesses. These doors are highly fire resistant, which means that they can help slow the spread of flames in the event of a fire. Even delaying the spread of a fire by a few minutes can make a huge difference in the overall fire safety of a home or business. In many commercial spaces, fire doors might be required in order for buildings to be compliant with safety codes. Even when they aren’t required, though, fire doors can be beneficial for property owners.
Commercial fire doors typically have some additional features and functionalities that make them different from standard residential fire doors. In addition to their fire resistance, commercial fire doors are designed with specialized locking mechanisms to ensure that people inside a commercial building have the ability to quickly and safely exit in the event of an emergency. In many cases, fire doors are only intended to be opened from the inside of a building, and they are only to be used in the event of an emergency. Some fire doors are integrated into the fire safety alert system in a building and will trigger an alarm if opened.
Ensuring the effectiveness of fire doors
If you have a fire door or are considering investing in one, you need to ensure that you choose the highest quality materials and locking products. The right locking mechanisms and fire-grade doors can make all the difference when it comes to the performance of your fire doors in Fairfax, VA. If you need help finding a locking mechanism for your fire door or are having trouble with an existing locking mechanism, you should consult a locksmith who can point you in the right direction.
Get help with fire doors in Fairfax, VA
At Artie’s Lock and Key, we know how important fire doors in Fairfax, VA can be, and we are here to help you ensure that yours are kept in good working order. We have been providing residential and commercial customers with comprehensive mobile locksmith services for decades, and we continue to develop a reputation for the quality of our services and the satisfaction of our customers. Give us a call or come by and see us today to learn more about what we can do for your property.
