Fire doors

Modern manufacturers of doors often attract potential consumers with characteristics that their products do not have, and it will be good if the advantages described by them are possible in principle. Recently, it is very fashionable to acquire fire door construction, but if the buyer does not understand this topic, he can easily make a useless purchase for huge money. Let's try to figure out what is the door fire protection and how not to make a mistake when choosing such a product.

The first thing that should definitely be noted is that fire doors in the modern world do exist, the only question is whether the model you are interested in is one of those.Manufacturers producing the best modern samples of such products use in the process of creating a completely different approach than the one that the Soviet "business executives" had, tritely hand-curled a simple wooden frame with iron sheets.

Now there is no need for self-manufacturing of fire-resistant door partitions - for this there are special companies that use their own design and proven materials, guaranteeing not only quality but also decent appearance. By the way, about the form - although at first such doors were developed exclusively for hazardous industries, where aesthetics are not so important, over time, the demand for similar products appeared already from the inhabitants, therefore manufacturers immediately responded and began to think more and more about design.

Among other things, fireproof doors are not divided into “unconditionally protecting” and “not at all guaranteeing” - there is a clear gradation according to which the stability of the product can be determined. Ordinary, non-fire doors, in contact with fire, will flare up, in the best case, in minutes, but even the best fireproof design will not be able to withstand the fire element indefinitely.It is simply a calculation that the product will delay the spread of the flame, and during this time firefighters will arrive at the place. The manufacturer only gives a guarantee that the specific proposed model will survive a certain time, and indicates this in the description in the form of letters IE in combination with the number of minutes.

It is also important that such a product does not allow smoke. Smoke-free doors are needed because people who hide behind a conventional fire protection structure may die due to carbon monoxide poisoning if ventilation is not properly established or does not cope in a fire condition. In this case, there are models that protect only from smoke and gas, but not from fire, as well as those that protect only from fire, but the smoke will pass.

The features of the protected door partitions are still largely judged by the way they looked a few decades ago. In the mass presentation, fireproof doors are a cumbersome clumsy construction that will fit only into the design of an industrial facility, since there is basically no design there.It is easiest to describe the changes that have occurred with such products, having destroyed several extremely popular myths about it:

• Not only metal. The old fire doors were really made exclusively of this material, but today the use of expensive innovative technologies makes it possible to successfully use glass and wood in production. Although these materials seem fragile and unsuitable for achieving their goals, and therefore cause a mass mistrust of consumers, they have managed to prove their professional suitability.

• Large thickness for good protection is not needed. The conventional wisdom about the benefits of considerable thickness is due to the fact that in the old days fire-resistant doors in factories were really very thick. There is an important remark: since they used to be used primarily at important state facilities, they were also assigned the functions of maximum protection against hacking — many of them were even bulletproof. As for the opposition to fire, in fact, a large thickness here is rather to the detriment. First, the metal (namely, it is the most common material in this industry) heats up quickly, and a thick structure with a huge surface temperature is dangerous in itself.Secondly, the large weight of the thick door quickly deforms the door frame, which negatively affects the protection against the penetration of smoke, and then the fire resistance.

• High cost is not a guarantee of high protection. In many areas of trade, higher prices mean better quality - it’s not for nothing that people agree to give more money for this particular model. However, in the world of refractory partitions, slightly different rules may apply. For example, new enterprises that have invested significant money in modern technologies can produce and sell a huge amount of goods daily, so they quickly pay for their costs. Older firms that have not switched to new technologies are forced to spend enormous time on the production of each individual door, so they simply cannot afford to sell them cheaper.

• Fireproof doors can be of different shapes and sizes., but still within certain limits. Modern customers are accustomed to the idea that if something is being made to order, then you can make any demands on the finished product - at least in appearance.On the one hand, this is a true statement, so that some differences in the size of doorways can be taken into account by the manufacturer; on the other hand, there are approved fire-prevention requirements, which, if the opening is too large, require to install the corresponding gate, and if the opening is too small, the hatch.

The same applies to the type of construction - each customer wants the fire-resistant partition to be outwardly no different from other doors in the building, but this is possible only if such a wish does not harm the fire resistance of the product. Not even any lock can be installed, because the passage must always be closed, which means that a closer and a latch are needed. Experts point out the need to choose locks with anti-panic - they have a large push handle on the inside, which simplifies emergency evacuation in emergency situations.

• Anyone can release the door, but the buyer should be careful when choosing. Legislation does not require a manufacturer of such products to buy a license, that is, anyone can do this business. At the same time, serious companies are required to produce tests and have certificates confirming the passage of a qualified test of the products offered.The certificate is not issued on the basis of theoretical calculations, but after the real test of fire, so that certified products cannot be compared with independent attempts to improve the usual old door.

Modern manufacturers are trying to produce fire doors in the widest possible range so that their products are used in a variety of conditions.

For example, for industrial enterprises a threshold is very important - if loaded trolleys travel around the room, it will be problematic to cross it. That is why many models for industrial use are available without a threshold.

Since the construction of the Olympic facilities for the Games in Sochi in Russia, a variety of door panels, equipped with a drop-down threshold, has increasingly spread. The trick of the design is that the threshold here allows you to create almost a single whole with the door only if the structure is closed, while in open form it does not interfere with the passage of any wheeled mechanisms - this was the main requirement of international organizations to ensure the possible evacuation of wheelchair users to case of emergency.It is obvious that this scheme can be perfectly used also in the conditions of industrial enterprises, where the passage of carts and other small transport is necessary.

Fireproof doors are of two types - single-and double-sided. Some consumers are confused with similar terminology, but in general it is similar to the concepts of “single-wing” and “double-wing”. There is a difference, however, because the concept of a double door implies the presence of two separate opening elements, but the double-wing design implies a hinged opening mechanism, and the sliding one works on the principle of wide doors in old electric trains and new supermarkets.

In residential and other premises that require a certain secrecy, deaf doors are used - that is, those that completely close the view and require opening for visibility of the space behind them. Translucent structures, on the contrary, have a built-in window or are completely made of glass at all - new technologies allow even this not very reliable-looking product to stand up to its corefunctions. For institutions of mass use like cafes and supermarkets, this type of model will be indispensable. Since there are quite a few people passing through such an opening, for their convenience, you can install automatic doors that open and close themselves, focusing on the built-in motion sensor.

When used in industrial premises where acrid emissions and stale air are typical, ventilated doors are a success. At first glance, this is a huge gap in the refractoriness of the product, but the manufacturers are not simpletons - they equip the design with a refractory ventilation grille, which already at a temperature of one hundred degrees swells to incredible dimensions, reliably blocking the paths for smoke and carbon monoxide. Some models are complemented by a special cap that allows you to protect the "smart" grid from mechanical damage in everyday use.

The main confidence in the reliability of the purchase is given to the client by a certificate - an official document confirming that the product has passed all the necessary tests. Such tests are carried out by certified laboratories, which expose the models presented to them to the effects of real fire and elevated temperature; therefore, if they have a certificate issued by them, the manufacturer can safely assert that its products can really protect you from the most terrible manifestations of the fire element. The certificate must indicate the exact conditions under which the tests were performed - temperature and time indicators play an important role, since it is obvious that a good model can withstand heating for days to several hundred degrees, but it is impossible to resist thousands of degrees for a long time.

Legislation presupposes the illegitimacy of labeling fire doors on those doors that have not passed the appropriate certification. A manufacturer may not label it in this way, but a cunning seller is able to present it in that form - in order to sell it faster.

In this case, the certificate describes the tested model in great detail, including the smallest of its parameters, measured to the millimeter. Usually the document indicates that a certain (strictly prescribed!) Deviation from the norm is possible - this allows the manufacturer to adjust to the individual order and release the door of the size that the consumer needs. If the deviation exceeds the permissible deviation, even with respect for proportions or fire-fighting laws, then the certificate for this model will not be valid - therefore, it is not a fact that it will protect.

Modern technologies allow to produce fire doors from completely different materials, but the most common raw material is still steel and iron.Steel and iron sheets are good because they provide a high degree of protection not only against fire, but also against burglary, because they have excellent strength. Aluminum doors are also in high demand - due to the fact that they are very light and practical, and therefore perfectly disguised as ordinary interior design.

If the door should not interfere with the view even in closed form, you should pay attention to the varieties with glazing. Some of them are made with glass inserted into an opaque body made of another material — this is useful in situations where visibility is possible and acceptable, but should not be permanent and publicly available; Such glazed constructions are often used, for example, in hospitals. As for the mass entertainment establishments, they use all-glass doors that do not prevent people passing by to appreciate all the advantages of this establishment and be seduced by them.

Other materials are also possible - there are also wooden or even plastic fire doors, although the latter are quite rare. To ensure an adequate level of protection from fire and smoke, the assembly features as well as the correctly chosen seal, which is an invariable element of door panels of any material, allow it. Yet despite all the assurances of manufacturers, wood and plastic as a protection against fire look less preferable, so if IE seems to be too high from them, it’s better not to buy such goods.

Whatever one may say, the choice of fire-resistant door structures is significantly inferior to the choice of ordinary doors, since the majority of consumers prefer the cheaper ones. However, this should not embarrass those customers who objectively assess the possibility of losses from a sudden fire - the standard sizes of the models are present in the lines of absolutely all popular manufacturers of similar products.

Moreover, in the assortment of each large company there will be non-standard solutions - already tested in the laboratory and with a legal certificate.Even if you are looking for a door for the needs of an industrial enterprise, where non-standard doorways are the norm, you should not immediately see this as a problem. Testing laboratories issue a certificate with the assumption of a slight (no more than 30%) change in the dimensions of the web, so that the manufacturer can legally produce a slightly modified model, taking into account the wishes of a particular customer.

Honestly, it is difficult to think of a situation in which the fire door is absolutely not needed, because the fire is theoretically possible anywhere. The current approach to the design of fire-resistant door partitions removes any restrictions regarding their use, because nowadays they can completely not spoil even the most sophisticated interior.

The main customers are still public enterprises. - both production shops, and places of mass rest. The first ones are oriented towards maximum safety in the conditions of working with harmful components, while the second ones are mainly aimed at ensuring the maximum safety of people who gather in large numbers here for rest. In the latter case, it is very important that the fire door does not spoil the impression of the design, but does not let the fire and smoke through, and also allow a large number of visitors to urgently evacuate in the event of an emergency.

Following the current trends, more and more people acquire fireproof doors for installation in their own apartment. Interior models are very popular due to the fact that during a fire they are able to limit damage only to the room where the fire occurred. A popular solution is also the installation of such products on the loggia - this helps ensure that the inaccuracy of your neighbors or an accident they do not lead to the transfer of fire to your apartment through the balcony. Because of the amount of household appliances that has grown in recent years, the probability of a fire in high-rise buildings has greatly increased, so such purchases are far from meaningless waste of money.

Most manufacturers of fire doors focus mainly on their region, so in every major city there are local companies involved in the production of such products. By the way, it is better to buy directly from the manufacturer, and not from intermediaries - the latter, not only that they wind up prices, they can also impersonate non-certified goods. If, however, you still have a retail outlet with a range of products from different brands, pay attention to those products that are in high consumer demand:

• Company "ExtraDor"She seems to have set herself an ambitious goal - to provide the widest range possible to satisfy anyone. The manufacturer uses its own production with innovative equipment to satisfy everyone - both industrialists and ordinary residents who want to feel safe in their own apartment.The company offers various configurations, colors, forms of models, as well as its own delivery and installation of products in the presence of numerous stocks for purchases. Production is located in the Moscow region, the main market - Moscow.

• The leaders were out and the manufacturer is not from the capital - company "Stalpromtekhnika" from Nizhny Tagil, working on the needs of the residents of the Southern Urals and adjacent regions through Ekaterinburg. The company does not mention anything about the production of fire doors, but it does release doors and hatches, and also promises an individual approach for everyone. Due to the dispersal of the population in the region, own installation is not guaranteed, but branded stores are available in ten cities, which makes it possible to rely on quality service.

• The company "Stal Stroy Techno" successfully competes in Moscow and the Moscow region, also offering a wide range of services. This manufacturer is able to become an excellent alternative to “ExtraDoru”, if the offer of the latter does not suit you with something.

If you decide that your home is your fortress, install fire doors at home.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice, follow the simple recommendations:

• Safety is paramount, but you hardly want your own home to look like an industrial workshop. Feel free to look at attractive models - they will also protect.
• For an apartment building, models with a stunning limit of fire resistance are not needed - they will quickly notice a fire and extinguish it. But protection from the penetration of smoke plays an extremely important role. If you value not only tangible property, but also your own life - the raging fire from the neighbors may not reach your apartment, but this will not prevent you from suffocating smoke.
• Private customers who buy doors by the piece, rarely turn to branded stores, preferring the nearest door store. This is permissible, but then do not hesitate to find fault with the certificates - the slightest discrepancy between the description of reality can be a reason for abandoning the model in question.

How to install a fire door, see the following video.