20 Feb How Beneficial are Fire Rated Commercial Doors?
Fire is a significant threat to your business. In answer to this threat, fire rated commercial doors have been developed to partition your commercial building and reduce the risk of fire spreading throughout your property. Depending on your business, a fire rated door may also be required to comply with building codes. But how beneficial are commercial fire doors, and do you really need them for your commercial property?
The Clear Benefits of Choosing a Fire Rated Commercial Door
Fire rated doors are not the same as other commercial door types. When a fire rated door is installed correctly and maintained, along with the appropriate frames and hardware, it can reduce or halt the spread of fire through your property. This protects your assets, employees, business, and livelihood. Fire rated commercial doors also protect against the spread of smoke and toxic gases that may be released in the case of fire. Smoke and poisonous gas can quickly spread throughout your property, causing pervasive damage to goods and people. So many businesses choose fire rated commercial doors because of the high level of protection and peace of mind they offer.
Fire rated doors also provide the benefit of enhanced security to your business because they are built tougher than other commercial doors.
Where Should You Install a Fire Rated Door
If the structure of your commercial building already includes the protection of an outer firewall, and you need to break the continuity of that wall with an access door, you should always choose a fire rated commercial door. Openings in your firewall will naturally weaken the barrier to fire, but installing a fire rated commercial door maintains the optimum level of protection while allowing easy access. There are also six other locations you should consider for fire rated door installation (in some cases, the locations are required to comply with building and safety codes):
Doorways that provide access to halls or corridors
Doorways that are marked with exit signs and that divide separate buildings
Doorways that open to stairwells and elevator shafts
Doorways that divide smaller fire areas or occupancies in a larger building
Doorways that close off hazardous areas (for example, a boiler room)
Fire Rated Commercial Door Styles and Options
In many cases, your best option for a fire rated commercial door will be one on rollers. These are easy to open and close. Fire rated roller doors close tightly and are a resilient solution to protect your business.
Each fire rated door has a fire rating, which signals how long the door can withstand fire for. Fire ratings can be from twenty minutes up to three hours. The better the rating, the longer the door will withstand the dangers of fire and smoke. When choosing a fire rating for your commercial door, consider the installation location, and try to match the rating of adjacent walls.
Choosing and Installing a Fire Rated Door
Of course, proper installation, maintenance, and care for your fire rated doors are essential to ensure they function properly and continue to protect your business. Each fire door is marked with a certification label, and along with the manufacturer’s instructions, this provides the necessary information for maintenance of the door. Having your fire rated commercial doors inspected each year and repaired whenever necessary helps them last longer and ensure they will function properly to protect your business in the event of a fire.
Fire rated doors provide countless benefits for many businesses, and for some commercial properties, they are essential. To find out which fire rated doors are right for you and for expert installation, maintenance, and repair, talk to Frontier Pacific.