As we move towards the colder months of the year, there will be a time to address fire safety. From the cold outside weather to indoor heating dangers, your home and possessions can get damaged by fire. While a large majority of people understand the need for fire extinguishers, not many know about having good fire doors in their homes to protect them from heat, smoke and flames. Keeping these doors properly installed and checked can save you time, money and even a life.
Fire Doors save lives
Fire doors are an essential part of commercial and domestic building structures. They help to save lives in the event of fire incidents. Fire doors are present at all entrances leading to the property. These doors help safeguard the occupants against fire, smoke and heat transfer from room to room and keep buildings secure. Looking at internal doors from Internal Doors UK is a great place to start when searching for the right fire doors for your home or office.
Fire doors are designed to improve safety in both your home and workplace but it’s important to find out if you need to include fire exit signs. You can go to this link for more signage information. They provide an extra layer of protection when entering and exiting your home or office building. They are flexible, so they can fit different sizes of door or can be wall-mounted in different styles. They can reduce moisture and smoke damage to your door while keeping out draughts and improving the look of your interior. Implementing an adequately fitted fire door drastically reduces the risk of injury from fires from sliding or opening doors in your home or office.
Installing Fire Doors
You need to consider safety when installing a fire door. The National Fire Protection Association notes that stairwells are often at the heart of fires and explosions. If you install a standard heater in a stairwell or hallway, there is a good chance it will spread the fire to other areas of the home. Installation of a partial or fully automatic fire door can help prevent such incidents. The installation process should be carried out in a well-ventilated area with a separate exit for each exit door. It is always recommended that fire doors be fitted by a professional to ensure they do their job efficiently.
Components
There are many different components to a fire door. The most prominent part is the hardware. You have to pick a joint that’s thick and sturdy enough to prevent shrapnel from flying out while sealing the gap between the door and wall. You need eyes that can look through the cracks without getting misdirected by bright light or smoke and a grip that’s strong enough to keep the door from racking in response to minor bumps. Some doors have special hardware designed to fit into specific locations in your house, while others are entirely door-based.
One of the critical components of fire doors are intumescent strips. These strips will turn from white to black in the presence of heat, which is how they can put out a fire. These work by being placed on the inside of a door frame so that if there is a fire inside a building, the smoke and heat will come through the door. As well as acting as an indicator of extreme heat, this also slows down the temperature. A handy function is that if you install these intumescent strips in recesses, including windows.
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