Properly maintaining a fire rated door is vitally important to the success of protecting a building's structural integrity, occupants, and assets during a related emergency. After all, a fire rated door is only as reliable as the state it's left in. Because of the severity of its importance, we've provided an all-encompassing rundown of fire door maintenance, including what fire doors are, why maintaining them is crucial to their success, and essential steps and tips for better operation and preparation.
Rolling Fire Doors are rolling steel doors that have been engineered, tested, and approved by authority with a fire rating. These doors are designed to withstand smoke, heat, flames, and other related elements for a specific amount of time. Typically, fire ratings are 4 hour, 3 hour, 1-1/2 hour, or 45 minutes depending on manufacturer.
Understanding the importance of fire rated doors and how to keep them maintained in compliance with the national Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is crucial to their operation. These doors are designed to slow and prevent the spread of fire throughout a building; when they aren't properly maintained, they will not protect your building from these elements and can result in severe damage if fire emergency occurs. In reference to NFPA 80, rolling fire doors should be tested annually to check for proper operation and full closure.
Note: This following steps information should not be used as a substitute for instructions from individual manufacturers. Always consult with individual manufacturers for specific recommendations for their products, and check the applicable local regulations.
DOWNLOAD THE DASMA TECHNICAL DATA SHEET #271 ("Rolling Steel Fire Doors: Drop Testing and Annual Follow-Up") for more detail and information on the following procedures.
STEP 1: VISUAL INSPECTION
Perform a visual inspection, looking for anything that is out of place or could cause hazard during the drop testing or operation of your fire rated door.
Things to look for:
STEP 2: OPERATIONAL CHECK
Using normal operation, open and close the fire rated door and inspect for any indications of damaged parts. If the door is not properly balanced, or there is damage or missing parts that could create a hazard or prevent the proper operation of the door, have these issues corrected before conducting a drop test.
Important: Make sure your fire rated doors remain in an operative condition, in accordance with NFPA 80, at all times.
STEP 3: DROP TEST
Drop testing your fire rated door should be completed annually to ensure the assembly will close completely and accurately in an emergency. This test ensures the door will close fully with the bar resting on the sill, with an average closing speed of at least 6" per second, while not exceeding 24" per second. While we've established steps as a general outline, they are not a substitute for an individual manufacturer's instruction, so make sure to reference manufacturer's instructions when applicable.
Things to Remember:
STEP 4: DOOR RESET
Reset the fire rated door per individual manufacturer's instructions. Open and close the door by normal operation and drop test the door a second time, and reset again to ensure your door is ready for operation.
Tips & Tools for Better Operation and Preparation:
In addition to proper maintenance, there are several "best practices" to remember when utilizing fire rated doors. Download our info-graphic for more information on each of these tips. All it takes is one person to not follow the best practices in your building for a fire rated door to not perform properly during an emergency. To get your shareable version of this infographic, download a copy below.