One of the biggest concerns many of us have regarding the well-being of our homes and family revolves around fire safety. But in most cases, this concern extends well beyond residential areas. It reaches healthcare, commercial, educational, and even business facilities. These rely somewhat heavily on fire safety elements to keep all occupants safe from harm while maintaining structures. One of such fire safety elements is fire doors. 

Most of us will come across fire doors in one way or another. It could be at work, at home, or probably in office buildings. But what do you know about fire doors and the role they play in our day-to-day life? Do you even know how many lives fire doors have saved? 

You are about to discover what a fire door is, its role in saving lives, and how you can get a fire door installation in LA, especially if you live in LA County. 

What is a Fire Door? 

A fire door is a specialized or purpose-built door designed and tested against the elements to withstand roaring fires for extended periods. They are used for categorizing and delaying the overall spread of fire from one spot or area to another.  

Fire doors come with several essential safety features, the significant difference between life and death.  

How Does a Fire Door Work? 

As mentioned earlier, a fire door minimizes the spread of a roaring fire. It also prevents the spread of smoke or fumes. Most fire doors are not designed to sustain the raging beast permanently; they can only slow it down. 

The primary goal of a fire door is to save the lives of the occupants of a burning building. It helps create a barrier of protection that isolates the other parts of the structure from additional damage by fire and smoke. 

Fire doors have different grades, and each one is primarily designed to provide at least 30 minutes to 120 minutes of respite or fire protection. 

Fire doors look like regular doors but are built differently. These doors are manufactured with several layers of fire-resistant materials; wire mesh, gypsum, steel, glass, and vermiculite. 

Some fire doors are aesthetically pleasing as they are designed to match the décor of your establishment or home. The exterior is usually made of veneer or wood. The exterior may look just like a simple aluminum/metal door in some cases.  

But there are hidden layers upon layers of fire-resistant materials that will help slow down raging fires in case one occurs without warning. 

This is what sets fire doors apart from regular doors on the market. The interiors of fire doors have intumescent strips. These intumescent strips define the rating of fire doors. 

They readily activate as soon as they sense excessive heat. This is what, in turn, prompts the materials within the fire door to expand and then seal off the door as well as any gaps. 

What are the Features That Make Fire Doors Unique? 

Here is more information about the critical features of fire doors for commercial and domestic use: 

As you already know, fire doors are made up of several components. At times, a fire door is covered with fire-resistant glass. Such a glass can easily withstand exposure to intense heat conditions in a fire test for up to 60 minutes before reaching a temperature high enough to soften it. 

The edges of fire doors should be adorned with intumescent seals. These seals expand when temperatures within a room reach beyond 200 degrees Celsius in order to seal off the gaps between the door frame and the door itself. 

Experts highly recommend installing fire doors for private residences in areas with imminent fire risks. This could be the kitchen as well as rooms with more than a few electrical devices. 

If you stay in a newly erected structure, the property should be subject to regulations that ensure some of the doors are fire doors. For now, only HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupations) is legally required to have fire doors. Therefore, check to confirm this with the developer. 

But for non-domestic or commercial properties, liability lies primarily with whoever is considered responsible for the properties. This could be the owner of the property or the individual in charge of the property. 

The fire door code shows the exact number of minutes a particular fire door can withstand. This is why getting familiar with the different fire door specifications is crucial. 

For instance, a fire door with code ‘FD30’ implies it has been tested to withstand fire for up to 30 minutes capably. The most popular or common fire door codes are FD30 and FD60. 

Why Fire Doors Require Regular Inspection 

By now, you already know that fire doors have two vital functions: 

1. When opened, they are a means of escaping from a fire. 
2. When closed, they form barriers that slow down the spread of fire and smoke/fumes. 

Several deaths during fires are usually not from direct contact with the roaring flames. In many cases, it is from the inhalation of smoke or fumes which causes asphyxiation. 

Therefore, all fire doors should come with cold smoke seals, usually within the intumescent seals. A few exceptions apply where leakage of smoke is vital to detect fires early. 

To assess their efficiency/effectiveness in preventing the spread of fires, fire doors should be inspected from time to time in order. The frequency of such inspections depends on more than a few factors, including the overall condition and age of the fire doors. 

Installers will inspect fire doors to ensure that they are fitted appropriately. If you need an efficient and competent fire installer in LA County, get in touch with us at Fraker Fire. 

Conclusion 

Fire doors provide a means of escape from raging fires when opened. But when closed, fire doors form a protective barrier that prevents the spread of fire and smoke/fumes. 

If you suspect the facility you live or work in or discover a faulty fire door, do not walk by. Ensure you report to the individual managing the building. 

One of the areas Fraker Fire specializes in is fire door installation in LA/inspection in residential and non-domestic or commercial properties. You can get in touch with us or direct whoever manages the facility with a faulty fire door to contact us. 

This action could save a life one day. This is why Fraker Fire is here; to serve and protect lives and property from loss or severe damage by fire.