COMMERCIAL SECTOR
How to Select the Right Door Closer: A Technical Guide
Kirk Smith of Allegion UK outlines why fire door closers are central to maintaining fire safety standards in buildings and advises decision makers on how to select the right hardware for their project.
» FIRE DOORS ARE DESIGNED TO save lives. When closed, they form a crucial barrier against smoke and fire and provide vital time for occupants to escape in an emergency situation. An open fire door on the other hand is rendered useless in the event of a fire, and for this reason, fire door closers are equally recognised for their life-saving capabilities.
The relationship between fire doors and fire door closers is synergetic in fact, with both considered key elements of a building’ s passive fire protection system. When a fire door must close to completion during a fire incident, it will always rely on its mechanical closing device to do so effectively. Door closers are an essential operational component and must be capable of closing the door leaf from any angle of opening and strong enough to overcome the resistance of any latch seal, ensuring the door is held firmly in place by its frame.
Whilst all fire door closers serve this same function, decision makers are reminded that an incorrectly specified door closer can compromise the integrity of an entire fire door assembly. With different project requirements and hardware options available, specifiers and decision makers alike must be confident in their door closer selection. Where occupant safety is on the line, what should specification teams look out for? Kirk Smith of Allegion UK explains:“ Fire door closers are paramount to the success of fire door safety and specification should be a structured process to ensure appropriate closers are chosen at each touchpoint. There are various types of door closers available on the market, but whether concealed or surface-mounted, all controlled door closer models use spring hydraulics to close and engage fire doors onto their latch, allowing buildings to compartmentalise areas and provide occupants with vital escape routes. To perform this task, fire door closers call upon a number of elements including: the door closer mechanism, mounting hardware, arms and links.
“ There are often a number of considerations to make when choosing between door closer products. In any instance, specifiers must first establish whether their door is a fire door or a
Sources: https:// landingpage. bsigroup. com / LandingPage / Series? UPI = BS % 20EN % 201634, https:// www. gov. uk / guidance / ce-marking, https:// www. gov. uk / guidance / using-the-ukca-marking
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MAY 2025
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