A veneer is a thin layer of timber that is pressed to the door and finished with a lacquer.
A laminate is manufactured through fusing multiple layers of impregnated paper under high pressure and temperature to create hard wearing, durable and hygienic surfacing material.
No. All fire rated doors that contain glass panels must use fire rated glass.
This is a specialist type of glass which has been specifically designed to provide protection against fire.
An intumescent strip is a piece of material fitted around a doorway that when exposed to heat expands, closing any gaps around the door to stop the fire spreading for a period of time.
Acoustic tests are only conducted when the relevant acoustic seals and drop seals are included as part of the doorset. Without a drop seal, there would be a permanent air gap at the foot of the door where sound can travel through.
A doorset is a complete unit consisting of a door frame and door leaf or leaves, supplied with all essential parts. Essential parts consist of: Frame, door, glazing, associated screens, bison panels, hinges and test evidence to suit.
When a doorset is pre-hung within manufacture this simply means that the door has been tested and hung within its frame that will be delivered to site. This allows for the manufacturer to ensure the frame to door tolerance is correct and that the door will swing on site should be fitted squarely. If a doorset is not pre-hung within the manufacture period and the frames and doors are sent separately, the onus is on the site joiners to make sure the door swings correctly.
FIRE DOORS FRAMES & LEAVES
Any gaps, such as those between double fire doors, must not be larger than specified by installation instructions and both door and frame must show no distortion between top, frame and stiles. Door leaves with only minor damage may be repaired though any clearly major defects in frame or leaves necessitate immediate replacement.
GLAZING
Cracks in vision panels require that the glass be immediately replaced – this is essential no matter how insignificant the crack may appear to be as smoke and gas can easily penetrate, preventing the fire doorset from achieving its full FD rating. The same is true when beading has become worn and damaged.
INTUMESCENT SEALS
Damaged or badly-fitted seals should be replaced with the same kind as in the original specification – if smoke seals require replacing, one continuous length is preferable to fixing piecemeal. Seals that have been exposed to any major rise in temperature need immediate replacement and visual examinations should be regularly carried out.
OPENING & CLOSING
Fire doors should close fully without any binding to the floor – check that this occurs when the door closes from a variety of open widths. The door should not slam and should be closed within 10 seconds when let go from around 90 degrees. Never wedge a fire door open – fire doors with hold-open devices should have this device at the opposite end of the door from the closing device.
IRONMONGERY
Check that all ironmongery fixings are secure and remember that many hinges, locks and closer arms etc. may need lubrication to function correctly. Components must be replaced on a like-for-like basis to ensure consistency and a tell-tale sign of impending failure is dark markings appearing around hinge knuckles. Levers and locks should return fully to horizontal when released.
SAFETY SIGNS
These are mandatory (BS 5499 regarding standards for sighting and size of fire door safety signs), to be fitted to every non-domestic fire door at eye level. Any sign which has been removed, damaged or otherwise tampered with must, by law, be immediately replaced to ensure relevant information, such as date of installation and fire rating, is clearly and constantly visible.
