The different types of fire door | SSS Industrial Doors

with a fire rating of FD30 (meaning that you will have 30 minutes of fire protection), whereas for larger buildings – such as warehouses or schools – they might require up to four hours of fire protection. To ensure that your door is able to contain a fire, you must also make sure that the design meets all of the necessary requirements, as specified in the government’s fire safety approved document – more on this in our article “a guide to fire doors and the law.” You’ll need a fire door that not only protects against the spread of fire, but allows for a quick and safe escape. 

What are the different types of fire doors?

Single internal wooden fire door 

A single internal wooden fire door is ideal for smaller environments, such as domestic, retail or office settings, typically providing a 30 minute fire resistance rating. After installing a wooden fire door at any exit, you can feel rest assured that this area of your building will be protected against flames and smoke (for a certain period of time). You can also make sure that this fire door effortlessly blends in with its surroundings, with plenty of paints and stains to choose from. For buildings with a smaller footfall, single internal wooden fire doors are sufficient. 

Steel hinged fire door

If you’re looking for a fire door that offers incomparable robustness, durability and security, the steel hinged fire door is an obvious choice. Providing four hours of fire protection, these doors are great for larger buildings that house a higher number of people. They’ll be able to contain the fire and thick smoke, allowing everyone to make a safe exit.

Here at SSS Industrial Doors, we craft our steel hinged fire doors using corrosion resistant 1.2mm Magnelis© steel sheets – which can be upgraded if needed – finishing with British Standard polyester powder-coating. You’ll be able to choose between a single steel hinged fire door or double steel hinged fire door, depending on the building’s requirements, with the option to add extras (such as fixing cover caps, frame weather seal of removable/ fixed panels). For more information, have a read of our steel door fire brochure. 

Flame armour fire shutters

Offering fire integrity for up to four hours, our flame armour fire shutters are both CE and UKCA marked, being successfully tested to the new standard 16034:2104. SSS are unique as they can offer their flame armour fire shutters to be fitted to either a rigid or a flexible structure (timber stud wall) having carried out specific testing fitting to a timber stud partition wall. Fitting to a flexible structure is attractive to many architects as this offers major cost-saving benefits, making the flame armour fire shutter ideal for any building that requires an added degree of fire protection. This design is compatible with masonry, timber or steel structural openings, and their discreteness means that you needn’t worry about them affecting your building’s aesthetic. 

Fire shutters operate automatically on a tubular motor after receiving a signal from a fire alarm system, closing in a controlled, gravity safe manner as required. In doing this, it allows for everyone in the building to make a safe exit. Keen to discover further fire shutter benefits? Head over to our previous blog for more information.

Insulated fire shutters

Although similar in design to that of flame armour fire shutters, insulated fire shutters have an additional radiation rating (EW), which reduces the spread of heat transfer through the insulated curtain, along with a fire integrity rating (E), ranging from a minimum of 60 minutes (E60 rating) to 240 minutes (E240 rating). Manufactured from double-skinned 100mm galvanised flat lath, insulated fire shutters provide an extra layer of heat protection by reducing the thermal transmittance from one shut-off room to the next. 

Fire curtains

Another design that’s great if you’re looking for something discrete is the fire curtain. Their purpose is similar to that of a fire shutter – being to control the spread of thick smoke and flames – but the curtain is instead made from reinforced stainless steel wire, providing an extra layer of protection with fire retardant coating. With a low-maintenance and a lightweight design that can be hidden discreetly above the ceiling line to ensure that your building’s aesthetics aren’t compromised, curtains are a great fire safety solution. 

Fire door installation and maintenance you can trust

To feel the benefits of each design, it’s best to rely on the help of a professional fire door installation and maintenance specialist – that’s where we come in. We provide a 24-hour call out service, so regardless of the time of day, one of our fully-trained experts will be able to repair any issue swiftly in the rare instance that one arises. 

To explore our range of fire safety products, get in contact with us today to see which design will best suit your business. For long term protection you can trust, SSS Industrial Doors are here to help.