Fire doors, fire-rated doors, and door locks are commonly used in connection with emergency exits or evacuation. Few individuals are aware of the impact of fire-rated doors and door locks until they are confronted with a real-world situation that requires them to respond.
Any organisation with even a semblance of an emergency plan, on the other hand, will tell you that fire-rated doors and door locks are an essential element of their preparations. The same concept applies to homeowners. Any homeowner who has evaluated their home security will be aware of fire doors’ influence on their overall safety. Fire door locks may sound like they are door locks made of fire, but they are far more practical and helpful than that.
What Exactly Are Fire Doors?
Fire-rated doors are an important part of emergency and fire protection preparations. They are an essential component of buildings’ passive fire protection (PFP) procedures to ensure structural fire safety. Passive fire protection measures are employed to limit or delay a fire’s spread. Buildings use PFP protocols in addition to active fire prevention techniques.
A fire door always has a fire-resistance rating, which measures how long a PFP measure can withstand the various parts of a fire resistance test. The standards for fire resistance testing vary based on the state or nation in which you live. Certain building codes must be followed. These standards will dictate the type of fire-rated doors and door locks you use.
Fire door locks used on fire doors should not be confused with fire-resistant ones. Many commercial door locks have a fire-resistance rating. However, many of these door locks are designed to prevent crooks and burglars from compromising the lock by burning through its components. The nature of fire door locks used on fire-rated doors (for passive fire protection) is vastly different, and they have a distinct set of standards that govern how they should be utilised.
When It Is Used
Fire door locks are often used with fire doors or fire-certified doors. This is often done to limit the spread of fire within a business building or a residence while simultaneously providing residents with a safe means of exit. Fire doors and fire door locks differ significantly from their conventional counterparts since they are designed to be slightly fire-resistant. Fire door locks are designed to withstand the pressures of extreme heat in the same way as deadbolts used on external doors are designed to improve security by withstanding a great deal of force.
Requirements for Fire Door Locks
To comprehend the fundamental needs of a fire door lock, you must first understand the purpose of fire and fire-rated doors. Essentially, a fire door is intended to have the capabilities of a normally operating door at all times, which implies that it should be able to give and restrict entry in some capacity. Furthermore, fire doors must be capable of granting escape in the case of a fire or any other applicable emergency that necessitates a swift and expeditious evacuation.
A fire door must also contain a fire inside a certain region and prevent it from spreading to other portions of a structure. This is a crucial element that many people overlook. Therefore, they frequently put carpets and other décor items near fire doors, aiding in spreading fire rather than decreasing it. Like any other safety precaution, a fire door’s ultimate goal is to safeguard and protect life and property.
The fire door lock contains the locking mechanism that bars or restricts entry and additional components commonly referred to as fire exit door hardware. This hardware includes the fire door hinges, latching mechanism, closing devices, and releasing devices. These components combine to form fire exit door hardware and fire door locks.
Ensure safety and security with fire-rated door locks.