The Basic Of Fire Doors Explained!
Fire doors are life-saving devices. They’re made to put a stop to the spread of fire and smoke for a set period of time. This serves three primary purposes as per the providers of fire doors Ireland:
To ensure that individuals can safely evacuate, escape routes must be protected.
To safeguard the structure and its contents (an insurance requirement)
To provide firefighters the best chance of extinguishing the fire safely.
Is there a distinction between a fire door and a fire exit?
Fire exits are located on the exterior walls and lead to the outside. Internal fire doors are carefully built and installed to withstand fire. If they are on the evacuation route to the final fire exit, some fire doors are also considered fire exits.
People need to be able to readily find their way out of a building in an emergency, hence fire exit signs are required throughout the building.
External fire exits can remain open and must be simple to open (ideally in the direction of traffic, i.e. push to exit) so that people can quickly exit a building in the event of a fire. A sign above the door should clearly identify fire exits.
To restrict the spread of fire and smoke, fire doors must be closed. It’s risky to wedge or prop them open. They can be held open using particular devices, but they must release the door to close automatically if the fire alarm goes off.
A sign that says ‘fire door, keep shut’ or a specialized sign with details about the door, such as ‘Automatic fire door keep clear,’ is required on fire doors.
Where do we require the use of fire doors?
There must be a safe escape path in non-domestic structures. If they lead to corridors or staircases, for example, fire specialist companies providing fire doors Ireland say they are a must.
They’re also required to compartmentalize a fire, which means preventing it from spreading from one portion of the building to the next. This implies they’re employed in high-risk places like kitchens, flammable storage areas, and engine rooms.
Every livable room off the stairs must have fire doors in new or renovated domestic dwellings with three floors or higher.
Difference between fire and other types of doors
Fire doors are built to withstand the passage of fire and smoke.
Fire doors Ireland for that matter are constructed of composite materials and are significantly heavier than standard internal doors. This makes it more difficult to push or pull them open.
They must be equipped with a door closer in order to close automatically.
To prevent gaps, fire doors require a barrier around the edges that swells when heated.
If the doors have windows, they must be made of fire-resistant glass.
All of the door’s ironmongery must also be fire-resistant.
How long do fire doors have to be fire-resistant?
The most popular fire door is the FD30, which is meant to withstand fire for at least 30 minutes. A FD60 is sometimes required, which has completely tested seals for smoke resistance and can withstand fire for at least 60 minutes.
It’s worth noting that fire doors must pass a furnace test based on a time-temperature curve.
The length of time they can withstand a genuine fire is determined by a variety of parameters, including the fire’s proximity to the door, the type of fuel burning, and the rate at which energy is released, among others. In a genuine fire, they might fail sooner, but they might not fail at all.
Summary
Fire doors, put simply, save lives. The doors are weather-tested and built to last as long as feasible in the face of raging fires. They allow structures to be divided into compartments, slowing the spread of fire.To know more about the same, read on!
Author’s Bio
Sandrie is a full-time blogger and part-time dancer. She discusses a topic that most people don’t usually cover in their pieces: the necessity of fire doors, how to protect your home from fire, and basic recommendations on how to do so.
