Intumescent strips and smoke seals

[Paulgiv]

Hi, I've got a two part question.

Do intumescent strip seals have a finite life before they need to be replaced? 

Does a communal fire door in an existing building require smoke seals in addition to inumescent strips in order to be compliant with FSO 2005?

Thanks.

[Neil Ashdown MAFDI]

Intumescent seals do not degrade with age in normal circumstances. If they are damaged then replace all seals for that particular fire door, do not replace just one seal because seal types can vary and all seals to the door assembly should be of the same type.

A communal fire resisting door, in a block of flats, would be required to provide 'restricted spread of smoke at ambient temperature'. Therefore suitable smoke seals will be required.

[Paulgiv]

Thanks for that Neil. I'm surprised that smoke seals haven't already been fitted to the doors which have got intumescent strips.

[AnthonyB]

5 hours ago, Paulgiv said:

Thanks for that Neil. I'm surprised that smoke seals haven't already been fitted to the doors which have got intumescent strips.

Depends when they were fitted, when intumescent seals first started to widely appear in the 80's they replaced rebate only doors but smoke brushes weren'r widely used, it's not uncommon to find original build doors from that era that would today require smoke seals only having intumescent.

[Tom Sutton]

In the 60/70s the only door I remember had cold smoke seals was, smoke stop across corridor doors, used to divide up long protected corridors, into 60 feet maximum length. 

[gray]

 

Hi are the surface mount Intumescent  strips as good as the standard version which requires a carpenter to fit/route it in?Are the surface mounted version as simple to install as advertised or will I still need to make adjustments to the FD30 door?

Please advise as not sure which way to go, I think the cost will even out in the end as the surface mounted are very expensive but happy to pay the cost as it is very easy to do without much muscle power or time.

Edited February 23, 2019 by gray
missed a word out

[Tom Sutton]

 I have never done it myself but safelincs has a video which may help https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-door-seals-surface-mounted-intumescent-fire-and-smoke-seal-kit-product-1/ how to fix surface mount Intumescent  strips. I personally would prefer the Rebated Fire Door Seals fixed in the frames or fixed in the leaf of the door as a second choice but it appears that all pass the necessary standards.

[Neil Ashdown MAFDI]

Ask the supplier to provide 'evidence of fire (and cold smoke if applicable) performance' before you buy.