Essential Guide to Fire Doors

Choosing the right fire door for your building is crucial to ensure the safety of the occupants and the property. Fire doors are designed to contain a fire in a specific area, preventing its spread to other parts of the building. They are a passive form of fire protection, which means they do not extinguish the fire but provide extra time for evacuation and reduce the damage caused by the blaze.

When it comes to selecting a fire door, it is essential to consider the different types available in the market, as not all of them may be suitable for your building's specific needs. In this guide, we will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about the right fire door for your building.

Internal and External Fire Doors
Fire doors are categorised into two main types: internal and external fire doors. Internal fire doors are designed to prevent the spread of fire within a building, and they are commonly used for communal and corridor fire doors, as well as doors to individual rooms. If a fire breaks out in a particular part of the building, the nearest fire door can provide up to an hour of protection, as long as it remains shut and has self-closing hinges to form a complete seal. Internal fire doors do not have to look like plain, basic doors. They are available in various styles and designs, allowing you to customise them to suit your interior style while still providing top-grade fire protection.
On the other hand, external fire doors are any doors that lead outside a commercial building. They are often made of reinforced glass, which makes them more durable and fire-resistant than typical doors. They should form a complete seal between the door and frame when shut, and they are self-closing. However, there are some security concerns with external fire doors since they cannot be locked. This is where push bars come in, which are easy to operate and perfect for external doors that only open outwards.

Communal Doors and Screens
Communal doors are commonly found in residential buildings such as apartments, nursing homes, and hotels, as well as large commercial buildings like offices and schools. They are suitable for structures with large and long corridors, as they divide the passages into smaller sections, increasing the prevention of fire spread. Communal doors are often double, self-closing heavyweight doors with wire or reinforced glass panels. They should remain closed at all times or can be installed with sensors that automatically close when the building's fire alarm sounds.

Steel Reinforced Fire Doors
Steel fire doors are a popular option in businesses with valuable stock or are located in areas with high crime rates. They are built to withstand all weather conditions and break-in attempts, making them the strongest and safest fire door option. Steel surfaces are effortless to clean to a high standard, making them ideal for the food industry. Hospitals and care facilities also benefit from steel fire doors as they are more tolerant of heavy-duty cleaning chemicals.
One of the significant advantages of steel fire doors is their ability to increase your protection time by up to three hours, making them an excellent investment for any building. They also come with a range of coatings from woodgrain to PVC, making them a suitable fit for many environments.

Frame and Reinforcement
For existing doors that do not need replacement, installing a frame armour system can improve the door's security and fire protection. This is particularly useful for residential buildings that need safety upgrades as it reduces installation time and cost. Frame armour is installed over the existing door frames, which means there is no risk of damage to surrounding walls, as would be the case with complete frame replacement.

Enhancing Fire Protective Qualities
In addition to the type of fire door you choose, the performance of the fire door is also influenced by the surrounding fixtures, not just the door itself. The performance of a fire door has a lot to do with the surrounding fixtures, not just the door itself. You can enhance their natural fire protective qualities if you have standard timber doors by adding the appropriate increased protection around them. A significant benefit of altering your doorframes with us is that we build around your current doorways. This means you do not have to risk damage caused to surrounding walls, as you would with a complete frame replacement. This means that your doors will meet safety and security standards for homes and commercial premises.

Choosing ALERON for your Fire Doors
Now you have all of the information, you can begin thinking about which kind of fire protection is best suited to your building. Every aspect of fire safety must be covered in your building to ensure the safety of everyone inside. Each of our fire door installations is completed by a certified and experienced member of our ALERON team. We also offer 3-year planned maintenance with any of our products to keep your fire doors working to regulation standards. You will also gain access to our bespoke online reporting tool, helping you make repair arrangements quickly and efficiently, making your building safer.