Fire Doors Vs Fire Escape Doors

Fire doors are one of the most commonly misunderstood types of door that we encounter as architectural ironmongers. Fire Door, Fire Escape Door– they’re the same thing right? Well actually no; the two are very different and as such have different ironmongery requirements.

So What is a Fire Door?

Fire doors are used to compartmentalise buildings. In the event of a fire, these doors will slow down the spread of smoke and fire throughout the building without hindering passage for people exiting the building during day to day use but also during fire drills.

A fire door is a door that has been tested for a particular level of fire resistance. The most common fire rating for internal fire doors is FD30; meaning that it provides and has been tested to achieve 30 minutes fire protection. 

All certified fire doors will have been subjected to an integrity testing procedure in order to determine their FD rating. Fire doors are tested in what is known as a door set with a frame and all necessary hardware such as latches, hinges, locks and a door closer. Fire door certification is provided by a testing house or certification body such as IFC Group or Warrington Fire. Fire doors are tested to European standard BS EN 1634-1:2014 or British Standard BS 476 Part 20 and 22: 1987. 

The certification label will indicate the door’s designated fire rating, e.g. FD30, FD60, or FD120. The label or plug is most commonly placed along the top edge of the door leaf so it will not be immediately obvious when trying to identify a fire door. 

If you’d like to read more about this, ASDMA, the Architectural and Specialist Door Manufacturers Association, has published further information on fire doors, third-party certification, and certification bodies.

Appropriate intumescent such as hinge pads and smoke and fire seals should be used in order to comply with the relevant fire rating. This means that should you install CE marked ironmongery on a fire door but if you deviate from the conditions under which it was tested as a doorset, the door may not be fire rated. Also, if there is any damage to the door’s integrity then the fire rating will be compromised.

Fire Doors must never be manually propped open and if they need to be held open for general day to day use, electromagnetic door closers or retainers can be used when linked up to a fire alarm so that they will close in the event that the fire alarm is triggered. 

A fire door should have:

• The door should be of solid construction and have been tested and certified as suitable for the purpose.  Look for the certificate – it could be on the side or the top of the door.
• The door frame should be fitted correctly and securely and also be made of solid materials.
• In a home environment, a fire door should be located where the fire risk is highest –the kitchen or between an integral garage and the living area.
• The gap between the door and frame should be less than 4mm on both sides and top and may be slightly larger at the bottom. It should be a consistent 3mm at the top and on both sides. 

• An intumescent seal should be fitted to the door or frame. This intumescent expands in extreme heat and creates a strong barrier.  The seal should be intact with no breaks or damage. The bottom of the door can be fitted with a threshold seal to fill any gap when closed.
• The door should be fitted correctly with a suitable closer which should ensure that the door closes swiftly without slowing, catching, stopping, or slamming hard.
• All hinges should have every screw fitted and tightened to ensure that the door cannot drop.  Any movement will prevent the perfect seal between the door and frame.
• Handles and/or locks should be fitted correctly and at the right height for ease of use.  Screws should be present and tightened sufficiently to enable smooth use.
• Other door furniture (such as letter plates etc.) should be compatible with the door and fire certificate and be fitted by a competent person.
• Fire doors in the workplace or public place should be fitted with signage that states the door is a fire door and must be kept closed or shut at all times.  This should always be placed at eye level and on both sides of the door. 
• Glazed fire doors with vision panels should always use fire-rated glass and be fitted correctly with no gaps, breaks, or looseness. Fire doors with glass should not be covered or obscured in any manner. Intumescent sealing systems should be used to secure the glass in place.

Maintenance is the key with fire doors; they should be checked regularly to ensure that all of the above features are intact and work efficiently. In a home environment, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure their safety but in the case of a workplace or public space, it is the responsibility of the owner or manager of the property to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations, whoever is designated as the responsible person.

However, whatever the circumstances, if you notice that a fire door does not look or function as it should, report this to a responsible person for that facility. Whether a home or business, your swift action may save lives in a fire.

What is a Fire Escape or Fire Exit Door?

A fire exit door is an external door or an internal escape route door that does not have to be fire resistant but does need to be easy to open from the inside in an emergency situation. It is a fire safety feature. In some instances, a form of lock is required to maintain security on the outside and there are various products available that achieve this. Many manufacturers have designed panic hardware that can incorporate a push bar or push pad on the inside and an outside access device (OAD) with a keypad or physical key access externally. 

Fire escape doors or final fire exit doors should be fitted with relevant, compliant panic hardware. There are two harmonised European standards for this:

EN 1125 (formerly BS EN 1125) – relates to panic bolts, push bars and touch bars that are to be used in any environment that the public has access to and people that will not have prior knowledge of the operation of the exit device on the door. They are also used in spaces with 60+ occupants.

EN 179 (formerly BS EN 179) – relates to panic bolts and push pads in an environment where trained traffic will be using the door and know how the emergency exit device operates. I.E, they will know what side of the door the push pad is on, and how to use it to gain egress through the door. 

All of our fire exit hardware meets relevant European standards and we stock well known brands such as Exidor, Briton, and Arrone.

You can read more about panic hardware fitted to fire escape doors in our blog for Fire Door Safety Week, it is an 8-step guide to fire door safety. This will also take you through maintenance checks for the other main ironmongery categories such as locks and latches, and operating furniture. 

Why Do We Need Fire Rated Doors?

• There are many instances where people have been prosecuted and fined or even in the worst case scenario imprisoned for wedging open fire doors, even when no fire occurs. Essentially, wedging a fire door open is an action that has put lives at risk and/or caused death and there lies the illegality. It can make for easier access and movement of people but it is not a safety feature.

• Fire doors are designed to inhibit the spread of fire and smoke, into corridors and stairwells, for a long enough period to enable people to leave the building safely.  The safety of inhabitants, staff, and the public cannot be guaranteed in the event of a fire if safety procedures have not been followed.
• Fire doors can also protect the building and its contents against damage from the spread of fire, as well as its users.  Compartmentation is a recognised way to keep vital areas safe until the emergency services arrive.
• Open doors can create a tunnel effect, particularly in long corridors. This acts like a chimney essentially by drawing on the flames with the result being a fire spreading rapidly and destroying whole buildings before any help can arrive. Fire doors are a key passive fire safety measure, aiming to retain the fire at the point of origin and prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
•  In the event of a fire, it is entirely possible that the insurers of the property would be unwilling to pay for damages if they can show that fire doors have been propped open, incorrectly installed, or maintained.  Many businesses have failed because of this kind of negligence.  It is the responsibility of the owner or manager to maintain good fire safety standards.

They are an essential part of fire control and safety measures and are a legal requirement in all non-domestic properties, commercial premises, and public buildings plus residential flats and houses of multiple occupancy.

Fire VS Escape Doors - The Difference

A compliant, tested fire door that is properly installed and well maintained provides peace of mind for users and the responsible person. Fire rated doors can be found throughout a building, providing compartmentation in the event of a fire.

They’re often supplied as complete, tested fire door sets, which include the door blank and frame, making them easy to purchase and will give you confidence that you’re installing a compliant fire safety solution.

An escape door can be fire rated but as they are often final exit doors they are typically non-fire rated. They provide single action egress from the inside and can provide external access. Fire doors can also be escape doors but equally, they can be normally locked such as a riser door or boiler room store door.

Fire doors are always fire rated, and escape doors always allow for single action egress but after that, there can be quite a lot of crossover between the two.

At Door Controls Direct we’ve compiled fire door ironmongery kits so you can be confident in purchasing a compliant set of hardware products suitable for many applications including corridors, storerooms, offices, and bathrooms. We also have various brands of panic and emergency exit hardware for final exit doors. If you can’t see the products or information you need, we’re only a call or email away.