The point about fire doors is that if you do shut them, they do resist the passage of fire. If you don't shut them you're more likely to become aware of the fire in good time to get out.
The situation you want to avoid is where there is a (non-fire-rated) door which is preventing you from becoming aware of the fire but not protecting you from the effects of the fire.
As you may be aware from some of my recent questions, it'll be fire doors all round chez nous.
It was pointed out to me that we don't now close all the doors, or even any of them, at night - in which case it doesn't make much difference what they're made of.
I guess we could get into the habit of closing living room doors at night, but not bedroom doors.
Daniele
Many of my internal doors are alarm zones, so I'm well used to making sure they're shut in order to set the alarm at night. It just becomes something you automatically do, certainly if you're forced to.
Interlinked smoke detectors.
Dave Osborne posted
How? What can they do if they're not shut?
Note that Daniele isn't "forced to" close her doors. The building regulations apply only to the building, not how people use it. I've seen at least one document from the BR people stating that explicitly.
Pete
Big Les Wade posted
OK don't reply ... I've now sussed what you meant :)
Daniele? Danielle? There is a difference. It's been pointed out *many* times!
Well, someone had to say it..... :-)
Internal doors made from lard.
A good, but expensive idea.
Not a good idea!
Go one step further and fit automatic closures to *ALL* the fire doors, or even properly fitted rising butt hinges will do just as well - but don't wedge the doors open after when you think such devices are nuisance! ;-)
As a matter of interest, did you 'upgrade' any 'planted' doorstops on the frames to 1" thickness, and screwed on rather than nailed - and change any glass panels to Georgian wired?
Cash
Daniele, all joking aside, I have been inolved where there have been fires in houses where casualties have occured, and if fire-check doors had been fitted and used properly the occupants would have escaped serious injury - and I honestly believe that all new-build domestic properties should be fitted as a matter of course with:
A) Half hour (minimum) rated fire doors (properly fitted and operational).
B) Properly fitted smoke and heat dectors in *every* room in the property (that cannot be deliberately disabled).
C) A properly fitted domestic water sprinkler system in *every* room.
D) Properly constructed fire escape routes from each bedroom via the windows (not the piddly things they use in the UPVc systems of today).
If you are seriously concerned about the affects of a fire - my advice would be: when (or if) you have fire check doors fitted - then use them as they should be used.
If you will not do this, then simply don't bother with the expense, as you would be far better off fitting heat and smoke detectors in every room, and working out a viable and safe escape route with all the family in the event of a fire (and just as important, what to do as well) - and if you already have a monitored burglar alarm fitted, get the company that installed it to fit the aforesaid detectors and add those to the monitoring system.
Forgive me here, I misread the post and though that you already had them fitted.
Cash
Climbing down off his soapbox. :-)
To be honest, it was Building Regulation's idea. But given what has been explained here, it does sound like a good idea.
I think that will be such a nuisance in practice. Better to get into the habit of closing doors if necessary, but certainly bedroom doors won;t be closed at night.
The door frames are to be done when the new doors are installed.
Daniele
Are you stupid ?
Why do you think there fire doors
Stuart
Even well-fitting ordinary doors can provide a substantial barrier to smoke if they're not directly in the fire area. Assuming you get out in time, do you want to redecorate one room, or the entire house and throw out all the smoke-damaged items?
Owain
In most cases it's assumed / preferred you'll be out of the house long before the fire resistancy of doors becomes an issue.
But if fire doors have to be fitted, what is the problem with holding them open on electromagnets?
Owain
In message , snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com writes
He's only just come down from the trees and stopped top posting, give him a chance
Did you mean "they're" ?
Cash
The problem with the ultimate levels of either security or fire safety is that they both work against normal living. An alarm system which goes off every time the toast gets burned or bacon is cooked _is_ going to be disabled. If it doesn't incorporate a method of doing that temporarily the owners will find a way of doing it permanently.
Similarly self closing doors in a domestic environment will be wedged open or taken out completely. The alterations to the building regulations to remove the need for self closing doors was nothing more than an acceptance of reality.
Its easy to put in fire safety or security "features". It is very difficult to put in ones which don't annoy the user to the point of exasperation.
The fitting of low volume high pressure fog systems (not the more usual drench ones) is becoming popular in the USA where they have far more serious domestic fire problems than we have here and is proving to be quite effective. I'm not sure about every room but kitchen and sitting room (which together are where about 90% of domestic fires start) would be useful.
Escape via windows is pretty useless unless you build in full fire escapes - effectively external walkways and fixed stairs. In any event with a smoke stop door on the bedroom and a smoke alarm to wake people up staying put until the fire service arrive is usually the safest option.
This really isn't necessary. 90% of all fires will be detected first by a smoke detector on the ceiling above the stair well. A rate of rise heat detector in the kitchen can be a useful sensor for of the ubiquitous chip pan fire but even then the landing sensor will usually trigger before it. Heat detectors in any other room are unlikely ever to be effective at providing an alarm in that by the time the temperature has risen enough to trigger them the products of combustion will already have started to kill people.
Indeed. Don't deadlock your escape doors either. It really can be very difficult to find where you store the key when its dark, the lights have failed and there is smoke all around. If you feel you really must deadlock any external door have the key tied to the doorknob so it can be got at easily. Don't have it loose on a hook - its really depressing to drop it in the dark before you can open the door.
If you have all the sensor you wanted fitted and don't want to live off pre-pack meals warmed on boiling water you might find that after the 5th or 6th false alarm you will not be too popular.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Jules saying something like:
Genius!
That's interesting. The higher incidence of fires, not the fog system. Is there any suggestion of why the Americans have more domestic fires than the Brits?
Pete
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.