How fire doors can make your home safer

27-05-2020

Fire doors help slow the spread of fire and smoke through buildings - so they can be useful in helping to ensure your home is as safe as possible.

We've put fire doors in the spotlight to consider just how they work and what you need to think about when purchasing one for your home.

At Doordeals we stock a whole range of internal fire doors, which fit with health and safety standards and with building requirements. Whether you're a landlord looking to give tenants peace of mind, or just looking for something a little more fire resistant in your own home, we have the perfect door for you.

What is a fire door?

The idea of a fire door is to make each doorway in a home more flame resistant, thus slowing the spread of any potential fire. A fire door comes with a fire-resistance rating and usually a special fire rated seal around the frame. The materials used are stronger and more fire resistant than a normal door, which will give you valuable time if fire engulfs your home. Insurers like fire doors, as they offer far more protection, so you can expect to get cheaper premiums as a result.

What is an FD30/FD60?

Fire doors are known as FD30s or FD60s - this refers to the amount of extra time they will give you in the event of a fire. An FD30 will add a minimum of 30 minutes, while an FD60 will add a minimum an hour. FD60 fire doors are thicker (54mm as opposed to 44mm) and a bit more heavy duty than FD30s.

Do fire doors need to be accredited?

All fire doors are fully tested to check that they come up to industry standards and will do what they say they will. When purchasing a fire door you can request a Fire Accreditation Report, which outlines in detail what you can expect from the door - all manufacturers carry out extensive testing which they explain in these reports.

How should a fire door be fitted?

There is a British Standard which covers the fitting of fire doors and the best way to ensure that this is reached is using a fitter who is a member of a fire door accreditation scheme. An example of such a scheme is FIRAS, so when looking for someone to fit your fire doors make sure you ask them if they are a member.

Are softwood frames OK for fire doors?

With FD60s you will need hardwood with a density of greater than 650kg. For FD30s this is not so important and the frame can be made of softwood, although this must have a minimum density of 450kg.

What are door seals and how do they work?

Most fire doors must be fitted with seals, called intumescent strips. These seals fit around the two long edges and on the head (top) of the door. The job of these strips is to create a barrier between the door and frame to stop the spread of fire and smoke.

Intumescent fire door seals react to heat to expand to fill the gaps between the frame and door. These can be painted, although it is recommended you do not do this as the paint could interfere with the seals doing their job in the event of a fire.

How much space can there be between a fire door and a frame?

In order to conform to British Standard you will need to make sure there is not more than 4mm on all edges. This is because fire door seals are designed to react within this space and clamp the door shut.

What fire doors do you have on your website?

We have over 200 different fire doors available on site - so plenty of options! We have something for everyone, from cheaper options such as the Plywood Flush FD30, to the much more lavish Faro FD30 Fire Door.

We offer glazed, pre-finished, panelled and flush doors. Most of our designs are also available as normal 35mm internal doors, so you can just have one door as a fire door and keep a standardised look throughout your home. A fire door is not just a safe choice, it can also be a stylish one too.

If you need any more information on fire doors, or have any questions which we haven't covered here then please do give us a ring on 0114 2557800 and someone from our expert team will be happy to help you.

Otherwise, we hope you find the perfect fire door for your home – here is our full fire door range if you wish to take a look.