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66 • FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY
Fire door hardware
advice: What
locksmiths
need to know
» » JASON TONKS, TECHNICAL
manager at HOPPE (UK), shares some
tips on how to avoid some common
mistakes with the specification and
installation of hardware on fire/smoke
doors:
Fire safety in buildings across the
UK is under scrutiny and it is becoming
increasingly clear that there is a lack of
understanding with some contractors,
installers and fitters of the role of
fire door sets and the implications of
modifying hardware specifications.
‘You can tell if a product
is ‘like for like’ by looking
at the tested elements
and the certification
for the products’
Fire doors are designed to
compartmentalise a building to help
protect it and to save lives in the event
of a fire breaking out. A fully closed fire
door in its frame and installed correctly
will help restrict the spread of fire and
toxic smoke for a set period of time,
allowing people to evacuate the building
quickly and safely while allowing the fire
services the best possible chance to put
out the fire before it spreads throughout
the building.
A fire/smoke door set consists of the
following components and all play an
integral part in fire/smoke protection:
• Door leaf
• Frame
• Glazing (where applicable)
• Beading (if glazing is used)
• Frame / wall sealing
• Seals (intumescent, threshold)
• Hardware (including signage)
• Air transfer grille (where applicable)
INSTALL THE CORRECT HARDWARE
FOR YOUR FIRE DOOR
It is essential that the chosen
ironmongery is suitable for use on the
specific type of fire door that it is being
installed on, as incorrect specification will
impact its performance.
There are three pieces of “operational”
hardware that are important for fire doors
to perform; hinges, door closing devices
and locks. In the event of a fire, these
products help to close and secure the
door in its frame for a period of time to
Jason Tonks, technical
manager at HOPPE (UK)
allow intumescent protection contained
within the door, frame and around the
hardware to eventually expand and fill
gaps around the door.
As well as meeting fire regulations,
also consider the functionality of the
door set and fitted hardware as many fire
doors are very heavy and this can cause
accessibility difficulties for some building
users. However, safety is paramount
for fire doors and when it comes to
replacing any component of the door set
or hardware, the products must firstly
have been tested as a combination
and are equal or better than the fire/
mechanical performance of the door.
‘it is not compulsory for
fire doors themselves to
be CE marked, but it is
expected that CE marking
of door sets for fire doors
will become mandatory
from November 2018’
You can tell if a product is ‘like for
like’ by looking at the tested elements
and the certification for the products.
You will also need to check what type
of door a hardware product is tested for
use on as a product that has been fire
tested for use on a timber door is not
suitable for use on a steel door and vice
versa without prior testing on that type
of door.
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | NOV/DEC 2017