Door and Window Safety

Doors and windows are the weak spots in the fight towards fire containment. Despite all the efforts to use fire rated building materials to prevent fires from spreading, the use of doors and windows can make it all worthless.

However, there are many components which can be installed on fire doors and windows to ensure they also assist in keeping a fire contained to one area. This reduces the damage can cause as well as the risk to life.

There are many different components you should consider using.

Doors

Fire doors and fire exit doors have different features. While a fire door is designed for stopping the spread of fire, a fire exit door will ensure that everyone can make an emergency exit safely and quickly.

This is why they are fitted with push bars and handles and open outwards. This is so that they can be opened with the flow of people making their exits in a hurry without holding them up for any period of time.

And there are various different options available to keep them secure. These include alarms which fit on the door and will sound if opened. Not only do they work to alert you to the fact one has been used, but they are also a deterrent against unnecessary use.

On fire doors, you have a wide range of intumescent products which will turn the door into an airtight seal to keep smoke and flames on the other side of the door.

Seals around the door will expand and plug the gap between the door and the frame if exposed to fire. And likewise, intumescent letterboxes and grilles work in the same way. And fire rated door viewers also do the same job. These all mean that you can keep the door functional whilst helping to protect you and other occupants.

To ensure the doors are up to the job, you need to also use hinges which are capable of withstanding a fire.

Plus, don’t forget to install signs which tell people to keep fire doors closed and which way the fire exit is.

Windows

You’ve seen it in films and TV programs that when a window breaks in a room engulfed in flames, a fireball emerges out. This is because of the sudden rush of oxygen into the room.

That’s why it is important that such windows are airtight when they’re shut, and the gap between the glass and the window is usually the Achilles' heel. However, by installing intumescent glazing tape around the window, or using an intumescent glazing channel, this issue is overcome.

And just like with the doors, you can also install alarms which will let you know if a window has been opened if you want to prevent their use.

If you find yourself trapped in a room, and the only means of exit is the window, you’ll need a fire escape ladder to make that as safe as possible. You should have no trouble finding ones to suit your needs as some are suitable for windows on the third floor and loft windows.