Disconnected Hydraulic Perko Powermatic

[Kemich37]

Hi, I have a situation where new fire doors were fitted to elderly tenants flats with Perko's.  The doors were too heavy for the tenants, so the Perko's where disconnected from the frame and an overhead free swing device was fitted (In some cases the Perko has been removed completely). Once the door is closed, there is still a gap between the frame and disconnected Perko which compromises the integrity of the fire door.  I am looking for some advice on how to overcome this issue.  Thanks

[Neil ashdown]

Hi Kemich37, You are correct removal of the Perko closer (causing voids inside the door and frame construction) would very likely result in early integrity failure of the doors in a fire situation.

If you can identify the manufacturer of the fire doors by finding a label on the top or vertical edges of the door you can then contact their technical department for advice. If you are unable to identify the door manufacturer and any performance certification and you have the necessary competence then you may be able to repair the door and frame. You would need to be a competent joiner (assuming the doors are timber) to tightly splice hardwood of a density above 650 kg per m3 into the voids together with intumescent paper as a gasket material. The splicing must be tight in the mortice holes leaving no voids (how ever small) within the door and frame section.

This is a job for a competent person and if you are at all unsure then you should seek professional help. In which case you could try the Fire Door Inspection Scheme at www.fdis.co.uk and info@fdis.co.uk 

Regards, Neil Ashdown.

[Kemich37]

Thanks Neil, very useful as I do have some other doors with timber frames that are in need of repair.  The majority of the doors which have had the Perko's disconnected from the frames are composite doors where the frame has a Upvc outer and a timber inner where it looks as if the timber has just been chiselled out.  Would the same principle apply as you've said above,  although it looks like it would be much more difficult to have a right fit.  I tried to attach a picture but the file was too big.