COMMERCIAL SECTOR non-fire door, for example. To ensure a closer is fit for purpose and meets fire safety compliance, all door closers installed on fire-rated doors must be tested to EN 1634 and UKCA and CE marked. Mechanical variants must also conform to EN 1154 and electromagnetic hold-open devices to EN 1155, which test and classify hardware over its category of use, number of test cycles, power size, fire behaviour, safety and corrosion resistance. A Declaration of Performance( DoP) must also be reviewed to ensure a door closer is certified when fitted with backcheck or delayed action.
“ From an operational viewpoint, it’ s important that a chosen door closer meets the needs of a building and its users too. Buildings with high footfall will often benefit from an electromagnetic hold-open device, which keep certain fire doors open until a fire alarm is activated, in which the system will automatically release and close doors to completion. The size of a door can sometimes be a key factor when selecting a door closer too. Unusually tall or heavy doors may often require a door closer with a higher power size, in accordance with EN 1154- it’ s key to remember that fire doors require a minimum Power Size EN 3 to conform to this standard. Should a specification team be unsure about the size of the door, it is often best practice to choose a door closer unit that can be adjusted during the installation stage.”
Durable in application
Regardless of where a fire door may be positioned, its size or how it may be used, operation must always be controlled, as this will prevent future damage to the door and its frame- which can be a crucial step towards retaining fire safety performance. Kirk Smith continues:
“ Surface mounted closers are the most durable and common type of door closer, with units mounted to the surface of the door or frame with a quick and simple installation process. Comparably, concealed door closers are fitted within the door leaf and frame and whilst providing the functionality of a surface mounted closer are hidden from view as a way of enhancing aesthetics. When reviewing the mounting requirements,
it’ s important to consider door closers can be installed in different ways, often depending on the application. The four most common ways to fit a door closer are:
• Figure 1 door mount fixing: where the closer body is mounted on the pull face of the door
• Figure 61 transom mount push side: where the closer body is mounted on the transom, on the push side of the door
• Figure 66 parallel mount push side: where the closer body is mounted on the push side of the door
• Slide track fixing: where the closer with slide arm and track is door or transom mounted, on either the pull or push side of the door
“ Specifiers must also evaluate whether backcheck control is necessary. Door closers with adjustable backcheck can better control the speed of the door, slowing it down prior to making contact with a door stop or before reaching
the fully open position. This function prevents or minimises damage to the door, hardware and adjacent walls, which would otherwise be caused by the door being forcefully open or caught by a gust of wind.
“ Equally, specifiers must consider whether a door closer requires delayed action. A delayed action closer offers a period of delay from when the door is opened to closed, which is usually set to be a maximum of 25 seconds( recommended for fire doors). This functionality makes delayed action closers ideal for environments that require easy passage, such as doors used by children, the elderly or wheelchair users, for example. With this in mind, decision makers should always check the Declaration of Performance( DoPs) and certification on fire door closers, ensuring they will remain certified and perform in use- keeping fire doors closed when it matters most.”
www. allegion. com https:// www. dhfonline. org. uk / media / documents / documents37a. pdf, https:// www. thenbs. com / PublicationIndex / documents / details? Pub = BSI & DocId = 279820
MAY 2025
41 locksmithjournal. co. uk