With an increasing demand for sustainable construction, timber fire doors can be environmentally in themselves and, by limiting the spread of fire in a building, can contribute to its sustainability as Malcolm Dyer contends.
Timber may seem an unlikely material for a fire door but it is, in fact, the most sustainable, adaptable and effective material for fire door construction, with the big safety advantage of burning at a consistent rate. And this consistency is the key to timber fire door performance.
Ninety five per cent of timber fire doors are sold with a fire rating of FD30, giving 30 minutes of protection. Timber fire door ratings FD60, FD90 and FD120 are also available, with the higher ratings specified for public buildings and hospitals, where getting people out may be a difficult process. Once a design has been engineered, it is tested in fire conditions and given a fire rating dependent on the period of time it holds back the fire. This rating will apply to all doors manufactured to the same design, with regular audits to make sure that the standard is maintained.
With growing pressure for buildings to be more sustainable and construction generally to have a lower impact on the environment, the choice of timber fire doors ticks the sustainability box. Timber’s credentials as the best environmental choice are based on the fact that it is an inherently renewable resource, and a natural insulator and therefore highly energy efficient. But it must be sourced from properly managed forests and certificated under a recognised independent scheme, such as that run by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). With timber from sustainable sources becoming more widely available, it is easier than ever to produce and use timber products such as fire doors.
Wider issues
There is, however, a much broader definition of sustainability when it comes to effective fire protection. The cost to the economy of fire continues to be significant – around GB pound 7 billion in 2003, when there were over half a million fires and around 600 fire related deaths. Protecting property and lives is what fire doors are all about, and the evidence of their effectiveness is quite dramatic when you see devastating damage contained by a single fire door in a multi-occupancy building, such as a hotel or student accommodation. In economic terms properly manufactured, fitted and maintained timber fire doors will protect the fabric of a building in the event of a fire, containing spread and limiting the level of damage. There are plenty of examples of major fires destroying buildings well beyond the point of repair because neglected fire doors failed. And from a social perspective fire doors play a vital role in protecting human life. The opportunity to escape a burning building through a route protected by fire doors can never be underestimated and this is why design, fitting and maintenance is all important. The BWF will continue to drive this message home through everything that we do.
The fact that a fire door works just like any other door for most, if not all, of its working life means that its importance as a highly effective passive fire protection measure can be overlooked. There are possibly fatal consequences of failing to maintain fire doors or not fitting them at all. And there is plenty of evidence to prove that properly designed, manufactured and fitted fire doors protect property and lives in the event of a fire, holding back the spread of fire for a set period of time.
Assembly is crucial
For a fire door to be fully effective, however, it must be correctly designed, manufactured, fitted and maintained. Crucially, according to the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, all the elements of the door assembly must be compatible. The best way to ensure compatibility is with a complete doorset, including the frame, door leaf, glazing, intumescent fire and smoke seals and all of the ironmongery. This is where the adaptability of timber comes into its own – it’s an easy material in which to fit all these components. And if a door has to be hung on site, timber is an easy material to work with to ensure the correct frame to door gaps are allowed.
Every timber fire door design manufactured under the BWF-Certifire Fire Door and Doorset scheme has been independently tested and certified as proof that, if correctly installed, it will be reliable in the event of a fire. Manufacturers provide specific and comprehensive installation and maintenance instructions with every door. And if a fire door is correctly maintained after installation, there is no reason why it should ever need replacing in the lifetime of the building.
So for all round sustainability, timber fire doors rate highly in terms of material, practical and social function and life cycle. But there needs to be greater awareness and understanding of the role and function of timber fire doors in all these areas. Our focus continues to be on education and information. Timber fire doors are a very effective passive fire protection measure which meets the broadest requirements of sustainability. They should be recognised as such and treated like other engineered safety devices, where performance and product life depend on maintenance and care.
Malcolm Dyer is scheme manager for fire doors at the British Woodworking Federation
