Fire door questions

[HappyP]

Hi a couple of questions if anyone can help... I've seen a fire door with an intumescent strip on the door AND the frame (same door) does one need to be removed or are they ok to be left. Both are in the right place and I'm assuming one was just left in situ when the other was put on but just wondered if they would conflict if there was a fire?

Also - do metal fire doors have to have strips and seals? Thanks to anyone who replies

[Guest Neil Ashdown]

Hi, HappyP

Metal fire doors and frames do not have intumescent seals because metal expands in a fire situation whereas timber doors char and shrink in a fire situation. It is important to install fire doors and intumescent seals in accordance with manufacturer's instructions which means the seal should be fitted to either the edge of the door or to the reveal of the frame but not both. More information can be found at www.ifsa.org.uk and by consulting the door manufacturer's and seal manufacturer's data sheets/installation instructions.

Regards, Neil.

[Tom Sutton]

If a fire is to breach a timber fire door it is likely it will be where the door edge meets the frame and intumescent strips are to prevent this happening. This is unlikely to happen to metal doors and frames so intumescent strip are less likely to be used but I have seen them fixed under the lippings designed to force the lippings to expand and seal the door completely.

Intumescent strips on the door and frame is unusual and I suspect what has happened is what you say or they may have been trying to compensate for a gap wider than recommended, which is not acceptable.

I would suggest if the fire door is a FD30 there is no problem but a FD60 fire door requires two strips next to each other and if these strips are opposing each other and not staggered then there may be a problem.

Check out the links below for more information.

http://www.bwf.org.uk/ http://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/