Fire doors are an important component in passive fire protection (PFP). Passive fire protection is a collection of components in a building that prevents the spread of fire and smoke. PFP reduces and limits fire spread by incorporating strategic building compartmentalization and by installing fire-resistant systems during construction. Most notably, fire doors are the pillars of PFP when it comes to compartmentalization. Fire and smoke are immediately confined to a single zone when a fire door is shut, allowing people in other areas to safely escape. Moreover, it makes the job of fire officials easier, since the fire is localized to one area. In essence, the role of passive fire protection goes hand in hand with more active measures, like fire suppression and detection. Without passive devices like fire doors, fire would spread uncontrollably and cause even more damage to the property without allowing time for people to escape or authorities to act.
A fire door is a door that has been given a fire-resistance rating. Fire doors are usually made with a combination of fire-resistant glass, metal, gypsum, steel, timber, and aluminum. Compared to normal doors, fire doors will be much thicker and heavier, while also complying with fire resistance certifications.
During fires, specialized fire doors are designed to be kept closed to prevent the spread of smoke and flames. Fire doors should all have clearly visible labels that indicate the purpose of the door along with its UL listing. The doors are tested in a lab that simulates real conditions. To be precise, the doors are subjected to temperatures over 2000 deg F for 3 hours. After that, they are put through the hose stream test; If the door maintains its structural integrity, then it meets the requirements for a fire resistance rating.
Fire Door 30 minute (FD30) means the door was tested to be fire resistant for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Fire Door 60 Minutes (FD60) means the door has been tested for 60 minutes of resistance. Fire doors are typically rated for anything from 20 to 90 minutes, and in rare cases are rated even higher. The higher the fire rating, the thicker and more resilient the build material for the door will be. For instance, an FD60 door should be at least 54mm, while an FD30 door has to be at least 44mm thick.
According to the NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, there are plenty of requirements for a fire door to be compliant with fire code. Fire doors should be at least 44mm thick. The fire rating of the adjoining wall will determine the necessary fire rating of the door. For more clarity on what requirements affect you, make sure you contact your local AHJ to determine exactly what fire rating and specifications your building requires.
Having the correct signage is very important for a fire door. You should have signage that indicates the location and purpose of the door. Otherwise, having no signage or incorrect signage often leads to the door not being used effectively by people in the building. For example, someone may manually prop open the door, rendering it ineffective.
If you already have fire doors installed, make sure they are not in disrepair. Damaged fire doors are against code standards and are not guaranteed to perform effectively. Check the doors for cracks or holes that could let smoke pass through. Also, make sure that fire and smoke seals are correctly fitted. Besides the dangers presented by toxic smoke, you or your business could face massive fines if your fire safety equipment is not maintained correctly. Even more, if a fire occurs, the damage to your business’ reputation can be long-lasting. This loss of trust can affect business operations and the company’s brand.
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Fire doors must meet stringent requirements to ensure the safety of your occupants. Firstly, the frame and door may only have a maximum clearance of 1/8″ on the top and sides, while the bottom of the door may not exceed 3/4″. To add, the hinges must be specially made to keep smoke out. Some fire doors have three hinges to prevent warping due to extreme heat conditions. Furthermore, exiting must be accomplished in a single motion. That is, you can’t have a two step process to open the door. Fire rated doors should never be bolted closed, held shut by a chain, or have excessive hardware that may complicate proper use.
Here is an overview of some of the important standards from NFPA 80:
The proper installation of a fire door is critical to its fire protection effectiveness. Although any carpenter can fit a fire door, it is recommended to have a trained professional with fire safety experience to fit a fire door. If you are not comfortable with getting the qualifications or certifications to fit your own door, then you can always contact a specialist with the proper expertise.
NFPA 80 requires that fire doors be equipped with specific types of hardware and accessories, such as self-closing devices, smoke seals, and fire-rated hinges that are able to withstand the temperatures and pressures of a fire. For this reason, fire doors may only be repaired, produced, or prepared in a licensed shop. Never perform repairs yourself or on a fire door in the field. Most importantly, make sure anyone doing your repairs have the licensing and expertise to work on fire doors.
According to the NFPA, fire doors shall not be held open by mechanical means. For instance, you cannot use a standard kick-down door holder or an object like a brick or wedge to hold the door open. Instead, use a code-compliant electromagnetic door holder and closer. When a fire is detected, these door holders may be programmed to shut the door automatically. Moreover, these devices are extremely simple and reliable. They are designed to be fail-safe in the event of a power failure, which will cause them to release and close the doors.
During normal operation, the door holders are activated by a low-current draw, which holds the door open with a suction plate and electromagnet. However, when this mechanism is powered off, the door closer may then shut the door. Door holders may come in a variety of form factors, and are built for low power consumption. With completely silent operation and flush models available, they can be integrated seamlessly into normal operations.
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A fire door is one facet of a complete passive fire protection system. Making sure you have fire doors, along with automatic closing functionality grants your active fire prevention measures the time to effectively handle the situation. Fire spreads quickly, and can overwhelm your building and occupants within a small time frame. Having PFP like an FD30 door with fire resistant walls can give your occupants enough time to escape. To get your own electromagnetic door holders, check out the 1500 series devices and FireAlarm.com’s door holder section.
