Fire-rated steel doors come with protection and certification where buildings require effective protection from fire. Used for dwellings as well as industrial or commercial buildings, they work as exterior doors and internal doors.
Protection and safety with fire-rated steel doors
The purpose of fire-rated steel doors is preventing the spread of fire and smoke, acting as a barrier. This is different from fire-exit doors such as commercial aluminium, intended as a final exit from a building in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Installed buildings in varying locations, fire-rated steel doors provide a fire barrier between the various areas. For instance, corridor doors, stairwells, interior doors as well as front doors in dwellings. All these use fire-rated steel doors.
One of the most important features around these doors providing essential safety is their hardware. Where these doors must be closed at all times, hardware includes self-closing devices without any hold open facility. The locking system is typically latch only with no additional deadbolt or other ‘locked shut’ device.
For front doors in dwellings with a fire-rating, these frequently come with the security locking system but a suitable method of easy exit from the inside such as a thumb turn.
The seals and gaps around these doors, the glass, hardware and closing mechanism and more. All of these must be correct for fire doors.
Importantly these types of fire doors come with strict British Standards and must comply with Building regulations.
Types of steel door sets with a fire-rating
The level of fire-resistance offers certification up to specific time limits. The minimum is an FD30 doors, thirty minutes, going up to FD120 and even up to FD240 with some models. With fire rated doors is the building use specifying the level of fire resistance required.
Steel fire doors provide longer protection than glass or wood doors. They all meet the relevant British and European standards such as BS 476 or BS EN 1634.
Made from the same thick steel as the general steel doors range, they’re more secure, longer lasting. Ideal for heavy usage environments. They’re especially useful in catering, science medical and other ‘clean’ environments where there is very frequent routine cleaning of surfaces.
Available in steel are fully glazed doors, glass/solid panels and even louvre doors.
More information about steel commercial doors
Use our contact form for more information and where to buy fire-rated steel doors for installers and the trade.
