Fire doors are used in buildings to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. They also allow for a safe egress from a building. Fire doors come in a wide range of materials and styles. Steel, wood, glass, and Intumescent strips are all good options for a fire door. These doors can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
Steel
Steel fire doors offer a high degree of fire resistance. The doors have four-hour fire ratings for masonry and concrete walls and a three-hour rating for non-masonry walls. In addition, they offer an attractive finished appearance. They can be specified with additional features, such as lockable fire bars. In addition, fire doors are available with oversized UL labels.
Steel fire doors are suitable for many environments, including domestic, commercial, and public buildings. They feature a variety of optional features and are durable and strong. Some are also designed with security in mind, including subframes that offer anti-intruder properties.
Wood
The fire doors proper hardware is important for any fire-resistant wooden door. The hardware should be matched with the fire door. Fire-resistant wooden doors should have a three-quarter-inch clearance between the jamb leg and the top rail. They must be prepped at the factory to accept hardware. Fire-resistant wooden doors should have a solid wood or mineral core, while steel fire doors usually have an insulated or honeycombed core.
Wooden fire doors are available in many different types. Some of them are specially designed to resist fire and smoke. Fire doors made of valuable woods usually have a higher price.
Glass
There are many different types of glass fire doors. They can be made of clear, tinted, or mirrored glass. Depending on the type of glass, they can be certified up to 180 minutes of fire resistance. These types of glass are typically used in fireplaces and glass hobs, but are also suitable for use in fire-rated glass doors. However, these types of glass doors do not offer thermal insulation. A better option would be intumescent laminated fire glass, which offers both thermal protection and integrity.
Another advantage of glass fire doors is that they can be customized. These doors can include unique designs and logos. They are not as fire resistant as other materials, but glass is very effective at containing the spread of fire. In addition to this, fire doors can help prevent further damage to a structure.
Intumescent strips
Fire doors can be one of the weakest points in compartmentalisation, and intumescent strips help seal them and provide extra protection. They are designed to prevent smoke and fire from spreading, and they can help protect a building for up to 30 minutes. This means less property damage and increased lives saved.
Intumescent strips are made of special material that swells up when exposed to heat, limiting the extent of the fire and smoke and minimising damage to the building. The strips also help prevent smoke from escaping into adjacent rooms. This is an essential feature, as smoke is one of the leading causes of death in fires.
Borosilicate glass
Borosilicate glass for fire doors provides excellent fire protection. It provides a barrier to flames and other dangerous gases and has excellent aesthetic appeal. It is widely used for fire escape access, stairways, and hallways. The glass is usually enclosed in a fire resistant framework to increase its fire resistance.
It is also very clear, and it has a high thermal shock resistance. It also allows a lot of natural light to enter inside. It is available in Grade A toughened safety glass.