Fire door requirements are being identified by the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA and are focused on the timeframe which the doors will be able to endure the spread of fire. If a door has a 90-minute rating, then you must expect that it will stand up there and resist flames and smoke for a maximum of 90 minutes. Many doors' rating also takes into concern the rating of the surrounding walls; and in fact, the wall rating is absorbed into the door rating, usually by about 75 percent. This implies that a wall carrying a 2-hour rating will need doors with 90-minute ratings. Rating requirements for certain locations are being stated by the building codes or the local fire marshals.
All fire doors must be obviously labeled and that all of the requirements must have been met by a certified, licensed testing agency. The door must also show or display what their rating is. When it comes to the wooden fire doors, there will be specific requirements which must be included to pass certification. First, the door must have a solid wood core, and there must be no more than a ¾-inch allowance between the bottom of the door as well as the floor. Also, there must be next to zero holes greater than 1-inch in diameter drilled in the door, and the hardware preps must be done by the maker to assure the certification. The frame must also comprise of steel and must also be prepped by the manufacturer in advance.
The hardware is also another essential aspect to consider in terms of the certification. Fire doors also must be able to close as well as latch on their own. When a fire happens, these would not need or require physical or manual intervention to close and to latch. The doors must also never be propped open, unless it is by a magnetic hold which is coupled to the fire alarm so it is released when the alarm goes off. If locks are being utilized, then these must be fail-safe at all times to assure that the door is automatically unlocked in the event of a fire.
Another essential requirement to guarantee that the fire doors will be effective when the unthinkable happens is that it must be maintained by professional, licensed as well as authorized inspectors. They are the ones that you may rely on when it comes to this matter because they are trained and knowledgeable with it. When they suggest something to be replaced, it must be followed without hesitation.