RESPONSIBLE FIRE DOORS

DoorCo’s Technical Sales Manager, Ian Glenister, gives us a state of the nation overview of the fire door market following the launch of the leading composite door suppliers new FD30 fire door solution, FiRECORE.

It’s a simple fact that people have the right to feel safe in their homes. We, as part of the supply chain, must operate with integrity to ensure that the products we supply are fit for purpose, manufactured correctly in line with regulations, and no corners are cut. It shouldn’t take a tragedy like Grenfell in 2017 to bring this to the fore, but when it comes to fire doors, unfortunately this is the case. The outcome of the Grenfell Inquiry sited several critical issues in the performance of fire doors in the building, including the failure to meet the required 30-minute fire resistance standard. This poor performance significantly compromised compartmentation and allowed smoke and flames to spread more rapidly.

It was also found that some manufacturers had misrepresented test results, and the regulatory framework did not ensure adequate oversight or enforcement.

These findings have already influenced policy changes, including updates to the Building Safety Act 2022 and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), which places legal responsibility on the Responsible Person (e.g. building owner or manager) to ensure fire safety measures, including fire doors, are properly installed and maintained. The key for us as a sector is “installed”, but that’s not solely the responsibility of the installer – it travels all the way up the supply chain.

Creating FiRECORE
This moral responsibility was felt strongly by DoorCo when it came to the designing and testing of FiRECORE, our new FD30S fire door solution. As with everything we do, integrity and accountability are at our core, and we strongly believe that we’re all “responsible people” when it comes to fire doors.

Fire door standards

In the UK, fire doors must meet the BS 476: Part 22 (British Standard for fire resistance) or BS EN 1634-1 (European Standard for fire resistance testing). The common ratings are FD30: 30 minutes fire resistance, and FD60: 60 minutes fire resistance. Doors must be Third-party certified, clearly labelled with fire rating and manufacturer info, and installed as a complete doorset (door, frame, seals, hardware).

With FiRECORE, we were determined to deliver a cradle-to-grave, fully certified fire door solution that not only exceeds regulatory requirements but ensures complete peace of mind for the end user, and every Responsible Person in between.

As a composite door manufacturer, door slabs are our thing. We spent a lot of time on the R&D of the FiRECORE as the first step. We knew what we wanted to achieve – a comprehensive range of door designs that would enhance the fire door market and fill the gaps of what was currently available, including top and side lite products and glazing cassettes.

The next step was to look to partner with a scheme to really make the best of our component. Winkhaus excel in this area. Their proven FD30 / FD60 FireFrame® outerframe, and the Winkhaus AV2 auto-locking multi-point door lock with optional access control, which has been tested to resist security and fire including TS008 compliant letterplates, numerals, eye viewers, door knockers and security chains, are fantastic products, and their Winkhaus Fire Door Scheme in unparalleled.

Working with Winkhaus meant there has been no stone left unturned with the development of our new approved fire door. They were instrumental in the efficiency and effectiveness of the project, supporting us to realise our ambitious plans, and achieve performance results that exceeded regulatory requirements.

 Winkhaus UK FireFrame Doorset Scheme

Following rigorous testing, FiRECORE is now part of the Winkhaus UK FireFrame doorset Scheme.

FiRECORE is accredited to EN 1634-1 from both sides, achieving 46 minutes of fire resistance, fully Q Mark 170 Scheme 3rd Party Accredited, with regular independent audits to ensure consistent quality and compliant with MHCLG Annex A recommendations, providing essential smoke and security resistance. It is also PAS 2024 security tested, incorporating a range of TS008-compliant hardware.

The scheme has been designed to not only ensure that the products on offer are fit for purpose but also that the customer – be that housing provider, new build developer, homeowner, resident, or installer – are fully supported in understanding their responsibilities when it comes to fire doors.

They strongly believe in upholding the golden thread of “doing the right thing” throughout the lifecycle of the door. Their Third Party certification and verification ensures doorsets are continually manufactured, installed and maintained to the same levels as identified in the original testing and declaration of performance.

For DoorCo, it was important to be part of a scheme and group of like-minded companies that wanted to work together to produce the absolute best, and one that can provide a benchmark for safety. A benchmark that we intend to build on with improved performance in the future.

Watch the performance of FiRECORE during testing:

For more information on the product, visit: trade.door-co.com/firecore

For more information on the Winkhaus UK FireFrame Doorset Scheme, visit: firetraining.winkhaus.com/en/#Fire-door-solutions