Door closers in Care Homes – A Must read for Facilities & Care Home Managers

Selecting and fitting the correct door closers within care homes for the elderly, can be one of the many challenges that a Facilities Manager has to face.

There is an array of products available on the market, an emphasis on meeting current building & fire regulations and an essential need to maintain a homely environment for the residents that is both accessible and non-institutional. 

Door Controls Direct are able to offer a range of door closing solutions that will meet the many varied requirements of a modern care home.

Bedrooms – Where privacy is essential:

Bedroom doors are often one of the most problematic areas for Managers; accessibility is vital but there needs to be a balance between safety and privacy of the individual. Free Swing door closers such as the Arrow 624EM or Briton 996 can be useful - during general use; they allow the door to move and be left in any position as though there were no control fitted. These closers are electromagnetic and can be connected to the building’s fire alarm interface. When the alarm is activated; the power is cut to the door and it will shut just like a normal door closer to maintain fire integrity and compartmentalise the building to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.

Corridors – Where fire doors need to be held open legally:

Corridors and communal areas may require a different type of door closer – an ironically named electromagnetic hold-open door closer. This works in the same way as a swing free door closer, except it holds the door open at a rigid 90 degree angle to allow each passage for higher volumes of traffic through the door. This is also sometimes referred to as “barrier-free” movement and the Dorma TS73EMF and GEZE TS4000E are good examples of these types of closers. 

Does it have to be a door closer?

Another popular alternative to electromagnetic hold open closers on high use doors are wall mounted magnets such as those manufactured by Geofire. These must be fitted in conjunction with a door closing device that is CE marked so that upon the magnet releasing the door closer will pull the door to the closed position. It is important to ensure that when fitting wall mounted magnets; that they are fitted at the same height as the door closing device. If they are not, the door could bend over time and this could reduce the fire doors effectiveness in the event of a fire.  

You will still need a door closer of some kind to ensure that the door is closed if the magnet releases the door.

When selecting electromagnetic hold open or swing free door closers for fire doors, you must always ensure they meet with current regulations. This will include ensuring that they are tested to the correct standard (in this case BS EN 1155 electrically powered hold open devices for swing doors), that they have been third party tested by an approved test house such as Certifire and can be supplied with CE certification. By doing this you will ensure that the product you are using is fit for purpose and meets all legal requirements which is a must for any care home.

If you would like any assistance in selecting the correct door closers for your care home please contact one of our experienced team at [email protected] who will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right product for your doors.