The latest webinar from the FPA, which ran on 20 September 2022, welcomed the FPA's Senior Associate Trainer, Mike Floyd to share his expertise and guidance on fire door safety. At this event, he shared a few key extracts from the fire door module of the Understanding Fire Doors training course offered by the FPA.
The webinar began with a brief introduction to the key areas of fire door setup, before moving on to points of concern and common alterations that can result in fire door performance becoming compromised.
Fire door setup
Sharing some of the key features from the training course, Mike highlighted the differences between the most popular fire door types (timber) versus the less commonly used types, such as steel and aluminum.
He described the advantages and disadvantages of each material, outlining how timber, steel or steel/glass, aluminum/glass, and composite fire doors each offer unique benefits in terms of fire safety.
Composite doors
One of the key advantages of composite doors is that they are waterproof, making them highly useful
Mike was particularly keen to dismantle the bad press that composite doors have been receiving since Grenfell, insisting that “a quality composite door is an extremely competent door.”
One of the key advantages of composite doors is that they are waterproof, making them highly useful in the healthcare industry where frequent cleaning and wiping down of surfaces are required.
Uses
Similarly, steel and composite fire doors work well in communal spaces such as schools, shopping centers, healthcare environments, and laboratories, where the most stress and damage to a fire door can occur.
In comparison, timber doors will struggle in those locations, and contractors may have to consider adding fire door retainers to keep the doors open correctly and safely.
Fire door installation
In addition to choosing the right material for the fire door, Mike addressed the importance of ensuring it has been installed correctly.
Without a competent installation by a qualified carpenter, the fire door cannot do its best job, and many carpenters have no formal fire door training as this is a specialist area of knowledge. However, he highlighted some of the schemes available for carpenters.
Importance of fire door installation
Mike discussed the updated requirements for door seals, hinge setup, trimming guidance, and the use of door closers
The webinar outlined the importance of fire door installation meeting the standards of the manufacturer's guides, as opposed to the well-known BS 8214 standard. Any variation in how a fire door has been fitted could affect fire performance and/or the warranty if an unqualified person installs them.
Mike also discussed, in greater detail, the updated requirements for door seals, hinge setup, trimming guidance, and the use of door closers, emphasizing that some manufacturers now offer pre-hung doorsets. These doors are pre-locked and ready to go, and they safeguard the validity of the fire door during installation.
Fire door modifications and alterations
The next area covered was some of the common modifications and alterations people encounter with fire doors that risk the degrading of a fire door and compromising its usefulness.
For instance, some mechanical locks require drilling out large holes. Another controversy around modifications is that in most cases, the fire doors have not been fire tested after the modifications have been added; therefore, there is no evidence that the fire door in question is still a fire door.
Effectiveness of a fire door
Modified glazing also has a great impact on the effectiveness of a fire door. For the most part, modifications should be done in a workshop and carried out by a professional rather than in situ.
There are, however, approved alterations that result in little to no degrading impact on fire doors, such as fob and swipe locks (as used in hotel chains), with Mike adding that “even bottom-of-the-range chains have got very high-quality locks that have been assessed.” Ultimately, the purpose of a fire door should not be impacted by any alterations added, and it is key that fire doors are kept as effective as possible.
Common misunderstandings
Mike was faced with numerous questions about common misconceptions regarding fire door installation
Following his presentation, Mike was faced with numerous questions about common misconceptions that many people have regarding fire door installation.
One delegate asked about the 3 mm gaps found between some double doors and whether an additional seal is needed to close the gap. Mike confirmed that many fire doors are now smoke-ready or smoke-grade; therefore, “there should never be a physical gap between a pair of doors – the smoke seal should fill that”.
QnA
Another questioned the challenges of using composite doors rather than other materials, such as timber and steel. Mike added that a “timber fire door will catch fire on the inside just as the same as a composite door,” but as with composite doors, timber doors will alight within the first few minutes of a fire test starting, but they won’t be alight on the safe side.
Other topics such as carrying out repairs, wrapping doors, and using intumescent paint were also openly discussed by Mike, with him sharing his opinions on specific case studies.
Best practices
Mike reiterated the use of best practices, which are highlighted throughout the training course the FPA offers and founded on risk-based assessments.
Ultimately, Mike noted that contractors should bear in mind the process required to set up a fire door correctly and the length of time it takes if any before the door might become degraded to the point of becoming non-functional.
CPD certification
Watching the webinar for the full duration allows you to download a 1-hour CPD certificate of attendance courtesy of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).