What is a Fire Door?
For more than 30 years, the highly knowledgeable professionals at Gem Dock & Door have been providing our customers in the Chicagoland area with the best fire door services that the industry has to offer. When it comes to the safety of both people and property, it is critically important that a facility’s fire doors be kept in good repair so they can operate properly.
The main purpose of a fire door is to protect life by stopping the spread of flames when a fire breaks out in a building. Manufactured to be extremely thick and solid, a fire door can effectively slow down a fire’s progression so occupants in a facility have more time to exit to safety. Because stair wells are the most commonly used method of leaving a building during an emergency, it is critical that each door leading to a stairwell be a certified fire door.
How Does a Fire Door Work?
Fire doors prevent both smoke and fire from escaping into another area through the use of intumescent strips. When these special strips are heated to a certain temperature, they expand and seal any air gaps between the fire door and its frame.
Generally speaking, two common types of fire doors are FD30 and FD60. FD30 doors will provide a minimum of 30 minutes of protection from fire when properly installed. This model fire door is about 45mm thick. The FD60 door will hold back fire for at least for 60 minutes and is 54mm in thickness. Usually FD60 doors are only used in commercial facilities. FD30 doors are ideally suited for domestic facilities, which gives occupants plenty of time to exit such a structure. There are other models of fire doors that are rated in 20, 45, 90 and 180 minute increments.
Fire Door Requirements & Components of a Fire Door
The regulations that govern the use of fire doors will largely depend on state, city and local laws. Regulations can also differ depending on whether a fire door is being used in a commercial or residential setting. In addition to code requirements on fire doors themselves, they must also always be accompanied by fire rated hinges and hardware to ensure that the doors will not fail under extreme heat.
In addition to specially designed handles and other hardware, fire doors are constructed from a variety of materials, including heat resistant glass, gypsum, steel, timber, vermiculite boards and aluminum.
Highly Experienced Fire Door Installers
Contact Us Today
Since first opening our doors more than three decades ago, the team at Gem Dock & Door has been there for our customers for all of their commercial door and dock needs. We are proud of the reputation we have earned in the industry for taking the time to listen to our customers, so we can create business solutions to meet their specific needs. If you would like to learn more about the fire door services that we can provide, contact us today. Learn more about why so many local companies consider us to be a long term business partner.