Architectural ironmongery: how it affects fire doors

Wayne Harris, director of Harbrine, discusses how adding or changing architectural ironmongery to fire doors affects assessment of fire risks.

Firstly, just like any element of passive fire protection, a fire door performs its duty when it is used properly i.e. shut!  However, it will also require an appropriate frame, the correct type of intumescent fire and smoke seals and any glazing that is installed has to be fire rated. It is probably fair to state immediately that changing or adding architectural ironmongery to an existing door to enhance its status would prove difficult.  Both in practice and financially it will often be a non starter. Therefore, the starting point for considering the question will involve doors that are new and also tested to an accredited fire door or door set scheme.

All new fire doors must be fitted with the essential ironmongery components e.g. hinges, closers, locks and latches.  These products will also need to be both CE marked and CERTIFIRE approved.  These individual essential items are assessed separately, for instance hinges must comply to BSEN 1935 annex B and be CERTIFIRE approved.

Seals, both intumescent and acoustic, are essential and must be fitted to door and frame.  The gap around all four sides of the door is essential to allow the door to be operational but should not be so large that fire and smoke can leak through.  The seals will expand and hold the door within the frame in the event of a fire.  Again, these products will need to have been independently tested.

There is a range of products which can be added to fire doors, which allow easier use of the doors whilst maintaining the integrity of the door itself. These items will need to be integrated into an approved fire alarm system. Once again these items will have to have been independently tested. The products of this type most commonly used include electro magnetic door closers both surface and concealed, wall and floor mounted electromagnets and free swing electromagnetic closers. There are further more sophisticated products available which can control the sequence that fire doors close.

Changing or adding architectural ironmongery can affect the assessment of fire risks.  However, the reality in a tightly controlled industry is that there are not many options available from the minimum number of ironmongery products needed initially to conform to regulations.

Wayne Harris DipGAI is a Director of Harbrine

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