Door Guide: Fire Doors

When selecting a fire door for your property, there are many factors to be considered. There is a wide range of fire rated doors and fire exits available and it is important to know which best meets your needs. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions relating to fire doors.

What is the difference between fire doors and fire exits?

Fire doors are internal fire-resistant doors used to protect personnel or property; they can’t be left open, unless certified fire door retainers are installed – these hold the fire door open until the fire alarm sounds. Fire exits are external doors that serve as an emergency exit; sometimes they are used for general access and can be left open, however, they aren’t always fire-resistant.

Do fire doors have to be fire rated?

Fire rated doors have to be fire-resistant, however, fire exits don’t. Bradbury fire rated doors are certified by the Exova Warringtonfire CERTIFIRE scheme for fire-resistance for up to 240 minutes. A range of Bradbury fire doors are also security rated and certified by LPCB to LPS 1175 SR1, SR2 or SR3. The chart below details the tests which are done to certify doors to SR1, SR2 and SR3.

What are fire doors made from?

Fire doors can be made from a range of materials, most commonly wood, aluminium, steel or fibreglass. Bradbury fire doors are made from resistant zinc coated steel and can be bespoke engineered and tailored to your needs, with a choice of panic escape hardware available. As standard, they have four heavy duty stainless steel hinges, six solid steel dog bolts, and our patented internal hinge chassis system.

Do fire doors have to open outwards?

Fire doors don’t always have to open outwards – as long as it will not delay escape unduly, the door can open inwards.