34 • DOOR CLOSERS & HINGES
THE HIDDEN BENEFITS OF CONCEALMENT
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SAMUEL HEATH HAS BEEN AT THE forefront of concealed door closer technology for more than 60 years. In this article for The Locksmith Journal, the company reveals the hidden benefits of concealment …
Door closers play a critical role in assuring the safety of a building’ s occupants. Their use on fire doors is enshrined in legislation and governed by Building Regulations and performance standards covering fire safety and accessibility.
Choosing the right door closer, however, relies not only on ensuring that it complies with relevant legislation and performance standards, but also on other factors which can improve aesthetics, reduce risk and enhance the safety, comfort and well-being of users.
PERFORMANCE MATTERS
The key areas of fire safety and accessibility are governed by a plethora of building regulations, performance standards and best practice guides.
Where fire safety is concerned, various requirements come to bear when selecting a door closer, including Approved Document B of the Building Regulations( Technical handbook 2 in Scotland and Part E in Northern Ireland), BS EN 1154( and BS EN 1155 in the case of Free Swing devices), which governs the performance of controlled door closing devices, and BS EN 1634-1, the fire door testing standard. Door closers that are suitable for use on fire doors must carry the CE mark.
With accessibility, parliamentary instruments such as the Equality Act and the Special Education Needs and Disability Act apply in conjunction with Approved Document M of the Building Regulations( Section 4 in Scotland, Part R in Northern Ireland) and BS 8300, which stipulates maximum opening forces for doors on accessible routes.
It should be noted that these requirements apply to the entire door assembly, so no individual component can claim compliance.
However, a door closer’ s operating efficiency will have a significant bearing on a door’ s ability to achieve the performance standards, and manufacturer’ s efficiency claims should be supported by independent torque curve certification.
Some compression spring-operated door closers cannot meet these requirements simply because the more compressed the single spring becomes in the opening cycle, the greater the force required to open the door.
Powermatic solves this by using a unique, patented twin-power configuration to maintain opening forces within the desired levels and still return an efficiency which facilitates a door’ s compliance with the accessibility standards.
HIDDEN BENEFITS
In addition to the various performance standards and regulations, successful door closer selection will rely on other considerations according to the specific application.
These factors can have a significant effect not only on the ability of the door closer, and fire door, to perform reliably, but also on the quality of the building’ s user experience in terms of the safety, comfort and well-being of its occupants, and the aesthetics of the building.
Jamb-mounted, concealed door closers, such as Powermatic, are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the many additional benefits that come from the fact that the door closer is totally concealed when the door is closed.
Concealment means that, unlike surfacemounted devices, the concealed door closer will not have a detrimental effect on the finish of the door or overall interior, thereby helping to retain a desired appearance. In addition to enhancing aesthetics in hi-spec projects such as hotels and apartments, this also helps to create a less-institutionalised, more therapeutic environment in health and care situations.
Where safety is concerned, jambmounted, concealed door closers such as Powermatic, are the preferred solution for many anti-ligature applications.
The risk of door controls being vandalised can also pose a very real risk to the safety of a building’ s occupants, as a damaged door closer can prevent a fire door from working. Here again, a concealed door closer provides a useful solution, as it presents very little opportunity for the would-be vandal to damage its mechanisms and render the door useless.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Once a door closer’ s suitability for an application is assured, for the locksmith, door closer selection will be influenced by ease of installation, the quality and reliability of the product and manufacturer support.
Jamb-mounted, concealed door closers fit nicely into the locksmith’ s skill set. Installation uses the techniques and equipment with which the locksmith will already be familiar for mortice locks.
Product quality and reliability will, obviously, vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but maintenance-free performance and a manufacturer’ s 10-year guarantee should be expected from any reputable company, as should dedicated support for product selection, installation and use.
DOOR CLOSERS & HINGES | MAY / JUN 2017 Sponsored by UNION