What do you need to know about installing a fire door handle?
Fire doors are designed to stop a fire in its tracks by restricting the spread of flames and smoke. They’re manufactured to the strictest standards, having to comply with BS 476 Part 22 in the UK and BS EN 1634 Part 1 in Europe.
What do you need to know about installing fenestration products?
Depending on the type of fire door, you will need to install different ironmongery and hardware. The key is to make sure that all of these elements have been tested together and are certified by the manufacturer.
Intumescent strips seal gaps around the door to prevent smoke and fire from spreading from one side of the door to the other, as well as restricting the movement of Fire Doors Kent. They also help to prevent water and dirt from entering the building through cracks in the door frame.
Hinges ensure the fire door closes correctly around all parts of the frame, so you need to fit at least three hinges that have been CE marked and Certifire approved. Typically, you’ll need to use a hinge with an intumescent backing material for added protection.
Letterplates
Where possible, it is preferable to avoid fixing letterplates to fire rated doors. However, where this is not an option, free standing and wall mounted letterbox blanking plates are available.
The latch on a fire door needs to be self-latching, meaning it can lock automatically without the need for manual re-latching. Some latches will retract for egress with one operation of the handle, others require an additional releasing operation. The minimum latch throw is usually between 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch, depending on the listing.
