Building regulations state that any home with an attached garage include a door rated for fire resistance between the garage and the living space. Older homes may need to upgrade to them and new builds will certainly need to include fire doors as part of the finished home design. These doors are specially designed to provide a higher level of security and safety for your family. But you need to be knowledgeable when purchasing them to ensure the best quality fire door is installed.
What is the Rating Required For a Residential Application?
In most cases an FD30 fire rated door is what is required in residential buildings. This rating means that the door has been tested and approved for 30 minutes of protection against flames, heat and smoke from fire. The door is certainly not fire proof and those who are inside the house when a fire breaks out should still practice proper safety measures and vacate as soon as possible.
How Will You Know What a Door Has Been rated?
Fire doors that have been properly tested and recognized as a rated door will be marked in some way. Often a sticker indicating the testing facility and rating (FD30, FD60, FD90, etc.) can be found on the top of the door or along the hinged side. Some models have colour-coded plugs instead to indicate a fire rating has been assigned.
If you require a fire rated product, do not purchase a door without visible and standardized markings to indicate authenticity.
Can Fire Rated Doors Have Glass Inserts?
The glass in FD30 fire doors has been formulated with high heat resistance, creating a door that is just as strong as any solid style. As long as the product has been tested properly and you can find the visible markings indicating those tests were passed, doors with glass inserts are just as safe for your home.
Remember that other than the sticker or coloured plugs, a fire rated door will look very similar to a standard door. Composite doors are designed for durability and beauty and the fire rated lines are no exception. Often offered with white framing and self-closing hardware, this style of door provides the same beauty as any other door on the interior or exterior of your home.
Fire doors should always be purchased from quality, well established manufacturers and the marking should be easily found. Homes around the UK that include an attached garage (and those with 3 or more stories) must have an FD30 fire door installed. Your family will be safer and more secure after this specialty door is purchased and put in.
What is the Rating Required For a Residential Application?
In most cases an FD30 fire rated door is what is required in residential buildings. This rating means that the door has been tested and approved for 30 minutes of protection against flames, heat and smoke from fire. The door is certainly not fire proof and those who are inside the house when a fire breaks out should still practice proper safety measures and vacate as soon as possible.
How Will You Know What a Door Has Been rated?
Fire doors that have been properly tested and recognized as a rated door will be marked in some way. Often a sticker indicating the testing facility and rating (FD30, FD60, FD90, etc.) can be found on the top of the door or along the hinged side. Some models have colour-coded plugs instead to indicate a fire rating has been assigned.
If you require a fire rated product, do not purchase a door without visible and standardized markings to indicate authenticity.
Can Fire Rated Doors Have Glass Inserts?
The glass in FD30 fire doors has been formulated with high heat resistance, creating a door that is just as strong as any solid style. As long as the product has been tested properly and you can find the visible markings indicating those tests were passed, doors with glass inserts are just as safe for your home.
Remember that other than the sticker or coloured plugs, a fire rated door will look very similar to a standard door. Composite doors are designed for durability and beauty and the fire rated lines are no exception. Often offered with white framing and self-closing hardware, this style of door provides the same beauty as any other door on the interior or exterior of your home.
Fire doors should always be purchased from quality, well established manufacturers and the marking should be easily found. Homes around the UK that include an attached garage (and those with 3 or more stories) must have an FD30 fire door installed. Your family will be safer and more secure after this specialty door is purchased and put in.
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