One of the most important aspects of fire safety is to ensure flames and smoke can’t spread rapidly through a property. Compartmentation is a great way to achieve this. It splits the building into separate compartments. Fire doors are essential to prevent breakouts while still allowing access and evacuation. We want to have a closer look at them below. Then, if you need to arrange fire door inspections in Stokesley, you can trust us.
Barriers
The crucial detail about fire doors is how they differ from standard doors. They have a dense core and feature materials with higher fire resistance. As a result, they are reliable barriers against smoke and fire.
If you look at a standard interior door, you’ll likely find it is hollow core, MDF, or particleboard. They are popular options because they are lightweight and cheap. Solid wood is an option, but costs more. These doors don’t offer a great deal of protection against fire, so you can’t rely on them.
Proper fire doors have a solid core and a fire resistant finish, sometimes a veneer or a sheet of steel or aluminium. They can offer fire protection from 20-30 minutes up to 3 hours. You need to check the official fire rating to get a clear idea of the resistance; FD30 means the door will resist fire for 30 mins. Then you get 60, 90, and other intervals.
Key features
One of the things that make us the top providers of fire door inspections in Stokesley is we know what to look for when we inspect them. This includes a number of key features that ensure compartmentation.
A problem with doors is they have a gap around them. If there is a fire, it could allow smoke and fire to break out. A fire door addresses this issue with intumescent seals. They expand when there is heat, sealing the compartment.
Fire doors can also contain glazing too. Keep in mind though it isn’t typical glass because it doesn’t have good fire resistant. Instead, it is usually fire resistant glass, potentially even with wire mesh to prevent shattering.
Crucially, fire doors should all feature a closing mechanism. It ensures they close automatically if there is a fire, immediately sealing the compartment. Generally they will link to the alarm system to close them at the first indication of a fire. There are different options here, including ceiling, wall, and floor mounted mechanisms.
Talk to us to arrange fire door inspections in Stokesley
Compartmentation is one of the best fire safety practices. It can restrict smoke and fires to the part of the property where they start for a specific period of time, enhancing safety for other occupants. This is essential for safe evacuation. If you have a stay put fire policy, it is even more important.
If you do have compartments in your property, you need to be even more proactive with maintenance. You will need to inspect fire doors regularly and all other measures to stop breakouts. With doors, make sure you check that they are flush, the intumescent seals are in good condition, and they will seal properly.
ABC Fire Safety & Security is proud to help if you want a competent professional to check your property. We provide a range of services, including risk assessments, fire door checks, and extinguisher servicing. You can ask us to check individual elements or provide a full service for your property.
So, get in touch if you want fire door inspections in Stokesley or any other kind of service in other parts of Teesside. We’ll help you to comply with fire safety regulations and protect occupants.
