Published on September 19th, 2022 | by Bibhuranjan

Things you should know about the fire-rated door: the ultimate guide

When choosing commercial doors, people pay attention to the design, security, and durability, yet fire resistance has to be taken extremely seriously by property managers and owners. Whether renovating a property or looking for fire door replacement services, choosing the right door might save hundreds of lives. Here you’ll learn more about the importance of fire-rated doors for any building and establishment, how to select the best product on the market, and why timely repair services and maintenance are necessary.

What is fire rated door?

The first step is understanding the purpose and anatomy of fire doors. A fire-resistant will be a heavy door made out of combustible materials. Fire-resistant doors come in metallic, wooden, and glass options, yet it doesn’t mean the doors won’t burn at all. When exposed to the fire long enough, the door will burn through, as they were designed to slow down the fire-spreading process in the whole building, not to resist fire completely. A method to prevent fire from spreading in the buildings, fire-rated doors are must-haves in commercial property and residential complexes. In high-rise buildings, the fire safety department creates a specific plan for placing the fire-rated door to improve evacuation during an emergency. The main goal of the fire-rated doors is to prevent the fire from spreading faster and hold back the smoke.

Who can benefit from a fire-resistant door?

The short answer is – everyone. The fire doors are not a choice but a requirement for any commercial building, from industrial warehouses and shopping centers to administrative facilities or even private offices. However, the residential high-rise buildings are required to have fire-resistant doors for evacuation. For residential buildings, it’s common to install fire doors in the laundry and garbage rooms, corridors, and fire/ building exits. In the past years, many homeowners from the hot climate with occasional wildfires chose fireproofed doors in their houses as an additional safety measure.

Two essential purposes of fire-rated doors during a fire

The main confusion around fire-resisting doors is whether they will survive the fire. No door material is 100% fireproofed. Yet, for every commercial establishment, public place, and residential building, it’s necessary to install fire-rated doors to secure the property. Here are two ways it can save the lives of your customers and employees:

Slows down the fire-spreading

The doors resist the penetration of heat, smoke, and flames from in and out of the room. In the event of a small fire emergency, the door can protect the rest of your property, sustaining the heat and flame inside and giving the employees enough time to call for help, evacuate, and extinct it. However, everyone who works or lives in the building should know the correct use of the fire door and notify the management if they see any issues with the locking mechanism.

Provides an exit and passage for the rescue team

The primary cause of death during fire hazards is smoke poisoning. Therefore, fire-resistant doors are crucial for evacuation. Properly installed doors will trap the smoke inside the room or hallway, giving people a clean passage to evacuate without poisoning their lungs. As combustible material takes a long time to burn through, it will provide an exit for people who couldn’t evacuate on time and got stuck on the other side and for the firefighter team to rescue all victims even in an actively burning building.

What are the prominent features of an excellent fire-rated door?

High-quality fireproofed doors should have these four features to guarantee maximum security in any building.

Longer resistance time. Depending on the material, structure, quality, and brand, the door can resist 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes maximum before burning through its core.
Insulation. Ability to withstand ongoing fire on the exposed side, preventing it from spreading without transferring the heat on the non-exposed side.
Durability. Ability to maintain toughness, functionality, and clearance after a long period of active and rough use without jeopardizing the sole purpose of the fire-rated door.
Integrity. Being able to withstand the flames and heat on the exposed side of the door and not let any gas, smoke, or flame spread beyond the closed door.

When choosing the fire door replacement, consider mentioned features to guarantee you’re getting the best option on the market. It’s not a place to be a Scrooge and consider budget cuts. Investing the high-quality materials for a fire door should be a priority.

The bottom line

No matter how many lives fire-rate doors can save in case of an emergency, it won’t do you any good if it’s not operational. Leaving fire doors open is irresponsible, so employees and residents of the building should know the fire-safety rules to keep the door closed at all times. Facility managers or business owners should invest in essential maintenance services to avoid broken locking mechanisms, worn-out hinges, misaligned door frames, or corrosion. Any damage that can affect the integrity of the fire-rated door can jeopardize the evacuation or cause unwanted gas poisoning and death. Therefore, a professional maintenance service will establish issues at the early stage and fix or replace the doors if needed.

Cover Image by Freepik

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.