A useful article about fire "rated" doors' ratings

     A steel door normally can keep its integrity during fire at least for 20-30 minutes based on itsstructural design however needs to be improved against fire in terms of insulation.Today engineers have improved the design of a steel fire door set to achieve integrity andinsulation lasting up to 240 minutes of fire exposure. How can you make sure you choose the right passive fire protection for a specific location? When would you choose 90 minutes fire ratingfor a standart interior door? Or how can you trust the supplier about the correct production detail?Thats where the subject of “rating” comes in to the picture. Thorough risk assessments must be carried out and it is advisable to get professional help with all fire-safety-related regulations but when it comes to doors, you definitly need a “rating”. A fire “rated” door has to be tested and then certified by a third party and then installed by an expert installation team as per the details shown on the test report in order to be called a “fire rated door set”. The fire regulations in every country dictates the method of testing, the expectations from the test sample and even dictates the way the door set is to be installed including hardware and accessories. Its get confusing at this point doesnt it? As you can easily understand, the main point is in case of faulty installation, the whole “rating” issue becomes pointless. Even if you design as per correct fire regulations, correct standarts, even if you buy the “correct” door from the “correct” door manufacturer, unless you have an expert team responsible for the installation, doors as a part of the passive fire protection systems fail due to lack of expertise. Fire doors should always be fitted correctly by a competent installer, as they’re carefully engineered fire safety devices. They should be annually inspected and maintained by a third party as well.