Fire doors help to confine a fire to a room or section of a building. This can only be possible if the fire door and all its components were installed correctly. Should you save on professional fees and install this door yourself? This article discusses some of the dangers that you would face if you did not hire a professional to install the fire doors in your building.
Getting the Gaps Wrong
Fire doors create an airtight environment that hinders the spread of fire and smoke from one section of a building to another. It is therefore very important to avoid leaving a large gap between the fire door and its frame. A layperson may not have the technical skill to determine the appropriate size of the gap to leave. This can result in leaving a very large gap that will render the fire door ineffective in serving its purpose during a fire outbreak.
Choosing the Wrong Hinges
Different manufacturers of fire doors may specify that the doors should have hinges that meet certain stringent specifications, such as fire resistance, thickness and heat conductivity. Any mistake that you make in selecting the hinges that you will use to install the door may affect how well the fire door compartmentalises a fire that breaks out. This risk of picking the wrong hinges is particularly high because you may rely on your eyes to make a choice that you think is appropriate. Professionals have the skills to interpret specification sheets of different products so they may be less likely to use the wrong hinges.
Improper Installation of Seals
Fire doors usually have smoke and fire seals installed to prevent smoke and fire from escaping through the gaps between the frame and the door. It requires technical expertise to know how to use the appropriate amount of fill material to fill the perimeter gaps behind the seals that you have installed. Once the seals are installed incorrectly, the fire door may be useless because fire will billow out through the improperly installed seals.
As you can see, the integrity of a fire door depends on how well each of the components has been installed. Like a chain, any fault in one part will affect the entire passive fire protection system. It is therefore advisable that such an integrated system should be left to trained professionals to install. This will protect you from any liability or losses that may be suffered when the fire doors are found to have been ineffective when a fire breaks out.