Why Do You Need Fire Doors? Here’s Why They’re Becoming Popular.
Houses should be proofed against all kinds of disasters, including flooding, rainstorms, fires etc. Fire doors are doors that are fire-resistant to a certain degree. These types of doors are specially constructed to slow down erupting fires and contain smoke. Fire doors, usually known as fire-rated doors, are impenetrable for a certain amount of time after a fire starts. Fire doors are divided regarding how long they can withstand fire before combusting.
Commonly fire doors can withstand fire for 20 – 90 minutes, and there are two types of doors that can be found in the market FD30 and FD60. FD30 can withstand flames for only 30 minutes, and these are usually used in residential spaces. FD60 can withstand fire for 60 minutes which is why they’re used in public spaces. The principal function of a fire door is stalling the spread of a fire so the purchase and installation of fire doors must be done carefully for them to be helpful.
Fire doors are very heavy and made of materials such as metal and gypsum. You’re likely to find fire doors in public places such as shops, schools, offices etc. but now they are becoming popular for residential use too. In-home fire doors are becoming popular for use in garages, kitchens, safe rooms.
Fire doors vary greatly in size and design. You can easily find many designs of fire doors in the market now. Solid and glazed designs are becoming popular. If you’re building a house with a specific theme, don’t worry about finding doors that are fire-rated and match the interior of a house. There is a variety of fire doors in different styles including doors designed like 1930s doors, with solid panelled surfaces. You can also find these in different colours.
How Do Fire Doors Work?
Fire doors must be installed according to a particular set of instructions for them to do their job. Firstly, intumescent strips must be used when installing a door because these intumescent strips expand when exposed to heat, effectively sealing gaps between the door edges and the frame. This helps in keeping smoke out, which is one of the main reasons for deaths during a fire.
The door frame should also adhere to safety restrictions allowing the door to stand in case of fire, and not crumbling under heat.
Why Do You Need Fire Doors?
Fire doors are a passive form of protection and battling against fire. It is one of the best features you can invest in for your house or office. Fire doors can be helpful to keep possessions and personnel safe until an escape route is created from a burning building. These doors are not entirely fireproof, which is why they can be used for momentary protection only as they will burn eventually. They will only slow down a fire for a specific period. But in most cases, even that is enough, contained fire and smoke allows time to escape safely.