People will know how a fire door works if they would look closely at how fire starts and spreads out. This will give you the idea on how to prevent huge damages in a building. The fire door itself is, most of the time, a compact timber frame. But sometimes it can be glazed with a fire-resistant glass. All around the door is a seal which is intended to swell once the temperatures exceed 200°C. The seal will close out all the gaps between the door and the frame.
Sometimes fire doors do not have seals but since 42% of deaths in fires are because of smoke inhalation, it is believed that this should always be included in the complete fire door system. Fire doors should also come with a self-closing mechanism as this door must not be propped open or it will lose its reliability.
During the manufacturing phase, fire doors will be tested by a fire testing centre and afterwards be given with a fire door certification as well as a rating. The testing will comprise of exposing the face of the fire door to extreme heat conditions just to see how long it will take for either side to ignite. The test will also see how long it takes for the structural integrity of the door to hold.
The normal system is to label the time it takes before the door gets burned. Labelled with FD, it then follows the number of minutes the door may endure the fire. Therefore, a door that can endure fire for 20 minutes will be labelled FD20.
Fire doors may be installed in any kind of building including private properties. It is best to install these in risky rooms such as the kitchen or a room that has a huge amount of electrical appliances. In case you own a building with three storeys or even more, an FD30 fire door is required in each habitable room off the stairwell. With two storey houses, the door should be installed between integral garages, all loft conversions, as well as the main body of the house.
Commercial properties must be correctly evaluated for fire risks. The responsible person or the employer must have a prepared escape route which makes use of fire doors to safeguard the route through the house. The person-in-charge must also ensure that a fire detection warning system is in place. Together with this are correct escape lighting, fire prevention equipment, and proper signs to assure the safety of the people in the building. Modern buildings today are all installed with fire doors as compliance to the regulations set by the appropriate agency.