Product news
FIRE SAFETY A KEY CONCERN WITH HOMEOWNERS
26/07/2010
JELD-WEN, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of timber fire doors, has seen a rise in the number of fire doors being used to replace standard internal doors, as homeowners become more aware of fire risks in the home.
Chris Miller, Product Manager at JELD-WEN UK, said: “Government advertising campaigns over the past few years have certainly raised the issue of fire safety, as has the number of news stories about fires taking place in domestic properties. People are more aware than ever of the importance of fire doors in the home and are choosing to upgrade often all internal doors to protect both their family and their property.”
Two years ago, JELD-WEN released FireGuard®, the only direct replacement for a standard 35mm door that offers fire protection properties and is certified to FD30, which means it has been tested and accredited as offering 30 minutes’ fire rating.
This unique door specification, is available across JELD-WEN’s complete range of moulded and veneer doors, including the popular Oak veneer feature doors, as Chris Miller explains: “We introduced these fire doors to meet the demand for homeowners carrying out loft refurbishments, where such doors are a requirement of Building Regulations, as it meant they no longer had to replace the door and the frame. Since then, their popularity has spread to the rest of the house as homeowners have recognised how they provide greater peace of mind and protection for their property and their family.”
Previously upgrading to a fire door usually meant replacing the entire frame – to suit a thicker 44mm fire rated door. This involved a large amount of work for the builder and the need to buy and install a new frame, plus having to re-plaster around the frame.
Now builders can simply replace the existing door with a fire rated door – a huge bonus for homeowners. The innovative core on FireGuard® means that it still achieves the same fire rating, but at only 35mm, it can be fitted into an existing frame.
As well as having a unique core material, the innovative part of FireGuard® is that the intumescent strip is fitted to the edges of the door, providing the protection from the spread of smoke or fire, again without having to replace the frame, which can be costly and time-consuming (subject to fitting instructions). Again, by fitting the intumescent strip within the door, frames no longer need to be replaced to upgrade to a thicker 44mm fire rated door.
FireGuard®, which was recently commended as one of the most innovative products of the year by the Construction Products Association, is now becoming a firm favourite with builders, contractors and home-renovators. It has been tested to BS476, along with European Standard EN1634 to offer 30 minutes’ fire protection and the range is certificated under the UK’s leading BWF-CERTIFIRE Scheme.
