Wood Fire-Rated Doors Combine Safety and Aesthetics

Advances in fire-retardant technology offer alternatives to traditional steel fire doors
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From Code to Luxury Applications

The necessity of specifying a fire door is largely driven by code, which can vary widely by jurisdiction. Fire doors are critical because when there is an access portal, like a doorway, to an enclosed compartment, the fire barrier is temporarily broken. To maximize resistance to the spread of fire, smoke, and toxic gasses, fire doors must be self-closing and have proper latching devices.

Generally speaking, the following doors must be fire doors, and are typically used in commercial applications: doors that are marked with an exit sign; doors that lead to marked exits, such as stairwells; doors that lead to hazardous areas; and doors that lead to hallways or from one fully enclosed room to another.

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In the late 1960s, some residential building codes began to require fire-rated doors leading from the garage, and often from the basement, into the house. Since the garage houses gas-filled vehicles and the garage and basement may contain storage of flammable materials, fire doors are a way to isolate the fire and keep it from spreading into the house.

Although it's a cost-plus situation, more architects are going beyond code and specifying fire-rated doors in several situations, particularly in high-end residential and commercial projects. Within the industry, as technology has enabled the door's fire retardant component to become "miniaturized" −some are as thin as 1/16 of an inch-doors themselves have taken on a sleeker look. Stile and rail doors are typically available in 1 3/4 inch thickness-down from more than 2 1/4 inches before. Doors are available in 1/2 inch flat panel-single doors, double doors, full panel and full glass.

"Architects are increasingly specifying fire doors in non-code situations," says Autovino, noting that fire-rated doors for bedrooms are becoming increasingly common. In a departure from the open look that has been popular in recent years, homeowners are increasingly opting to enclose the kitchen-an aesthetic as well as a safety preference. "Homeowners are very concerned about the possibility of a fire spreading," adds Autovino.

Doors and Door Assemblies

In addition to the door itself, the doorframe, the door hardware, and the structure that holds the assembly in place must all conform to product certification and standards that are prescribed by the local building code. In addition to codes, the standard known as NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Fire Windows, is a user-friendly reference for fire doors and their associated components. "The codes tell you where a fire-rated door is necessary, and NFPA 80 tells you how to do it, piece by piece," says Robert Solomon, Assistant Vice President for Building and Life Safety Codes at the National Fire Protection Association.

Fire Rated Doors: Basic Functions

To understand how critical fire rated doors are in containing a fire, it is important to understand the basic characteristics of fire. Fire spreads quickly-in just two minutes a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a house can be swallowed up by flames-a scenario that demands a dependable protective system already be in place.

As opposed to active fire protection, such as sprinklers or smoke detectors, fire doors are classified as passive fire protection measures. The objective of passive measures is to contain a fire and curtail its spread, as well as limit excessive heat and reignitable gas for a certain period of time-capabilities that are determined by testing, and which must be contained in a configuration that is consistent with the local building code or fire code.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record.
Originally published in October 2006

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