Member Article

Timber Doors Ace Fire Safety Tests

Timber fire doors have been given a major safety endorsement after every single one aced stringent fire tests that were ordered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) following London’s Grenfell Tower tragedy.

One of the UK’s leading suppliers of timber and construction materials, Arnold Laver, provided a wide range of door sets for furnace testing between October 2018 and March 2019, and they were all found to exceed the minimum burn time requirement of 30-minutes. The testing of 25 timber doors, from Arnold Laver along with other leading industry suppliers, came after it was discovered that many glass reinforced polymer foam filled fire doors were failing the tests after approximately 15 minutes.

David Oldfield, Director of Joinery at Arnold Laver, said: “We were confident that all the doors that Arnold Laver submitted would exceed the minimum 30-minute burn time requirement and perform exceptionally well. Fire door safety is of paramount importance to us and these results are a testament to the work that we put into ensuring that our doors are made to the highest standards, as well as being rigorously tested by an independent third party.

“As an organisation at the forefront of this industry, we pride ourselves on being part of the BWF Fire Door Alliance and BM Trada Third Party Door Certification schemes and work closely with all door certification bodies to continually drive quality and safety standards. We also regularly bring together industry experts to deliver compelling and informative CPD-accredited fire door safety seminars detailing the advancement in fire door installation and building regulations.

“A fire door is there to hold back fire, smoke and toxic gases, delaying the spread around a building and keeping escape routes clear. They only work properly if they are specified, manufactured, installed and maintained correctly, as well as being kept closed. We always advise building owners, developers and architects to seek professional advice when specifying fire doors and it’s important that they double check the product’s documentation and certification is fit for purpose.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .