Many people these days want to know as much as possible about fire safety in their homes and workspaces. The value of preventing fire damage in and around your home cannot be overemphasised. Your property and possessions can, unfortunately, be lost in the blink of an eye, so it is very important that you find the best fire protection options for your home. This article provides some guidance on fire-rated doors and protection systems and exactly how to find them.
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Guide to finding the right fire-rated doors and protection systems
It will certainly help if you have a professional, local fire inspector to visit your home or business premises to ascertain what sort of fire protection systems you require. Most inspectors will carry out a visual inspection of your property to identify areas of concern that may need further attention. A good guide to fire-rated doors and protection systems, therefore, should explain to you how to identify those parts of your property that may be most at risk.
Types of fire-rated doors and where to find them
There are basically two types of doors that can be classified as being fire rated. These will be a cold and hot system. The majority of household doors fall into the hot classification. These doors are made from materials such as steel, aluminium and timber.
Cold doors will generally be manufactured from aluminium, wood or fibreglass. You can therefore expect to see a large variety of these products on the market. The cold fronted doors will have a passive safety feature that prevents doors from becoming trapped during fires. The door can, however, still become trapped if there is an insufficient thickness in the door. This is where good fire-rated doors come into their own.
Good quality doors will have a secondary prevention safety mechanism that uses carbon particles. These are released in an environmentally safe manner and ensure that no poisonous gases escape. Carbon granules can be inserted into fireproof doors through the use of adhesives. Carbon granules are highly effective at providing maximum protection to a door. This active release of carbon granules is usually part of a multi-stage automatic fire protection system that is activated once the door has become dampened or when it senses an increase in heat.
Things to consider when buying fire-rated products
A good guide to fire-rated doors and protection systems would include a discussion on what to look for when you are shopping around for these products. You would want to be sure that you are purchasing a product that has a high fire rating and is therefore going to give you the best protection. Many of the leading manufacturers will recommend that you buy doors from a well-respected manufacturer. A good recommendation such as this from a leading company is always a good indicator that they provide a high-quality product.
When you are considering what your next door is going to be made out of, you should think about getting one with a safety rating that is above zero. This way, you will be more protected in the event of a fire outbreak. If you are not sure what the highest rating for fire-rated doors and fire protected doors are, you should contact a fire specialist who can help you understand the requirements for these products. In some cases, there might be specific fire-rated doors that are recommended for certain buildings. To find out the requirements for a particular type of door, you would need to contact a building contractor who is experienced in fire-rated doors.
The internet has made it easier than ever to get information about fire-rated doors and what is required of them. There are many online fire specialist companies that can help you identify what is best for your business and any number of different options that you might find when you search the internet for fire doors. It makes sense to take your time when learning how to find the right fire doors, so you can make sure you are happy with your purchase and that you will be able to use it safely all the time.