A door closer is a mechanical device that reduces the physical burden of opening and shutting doors, and can be housed above, beneath or within the door unit. Door closers play a crucial role across many commercial buildings, yet despite this, many building owners remain unaware of their importance, which could be contributing to inadequate specification choices. Here, David Saxby, Senior Category Manager at IronmongeryDirect, highlights some of the key considerations for specifiers as well as some recommended solutions.
Approved Document B (Fire safety) in England and Wales, Section 2 in Scotland and Part E in Northern Ireland, require fire doors to be fitted with a minimum ‘power size 3’, CE accredited self-closing device that will reliably close the door within 25 seconds to prevent the spread of flames and smoke in the event of a fire.
For common installation situations, the ‘Lever on Rose Fire Door Kit’ offers a simple, cost effective solution for building owners. It provides all the required CE marked hardware and components necessary, including hinges, overhead door closer, sashlock, levers, intumescent seals and even signage. Different kits are available dependent on the requirements of the door – such as heavy or light duty.
A building must be designed and constructed in a way that allows everyone to move freely – in line with the Equality Act 2010. This means that door closers need to reliably close, without having such a force that would prevent anyone with a disability from opening the door, or restrict day to day access for any group of users. The Arrone AR3500 is one of the most trusted and economical solutions for an overhead closer. With an adjustable power size 2-4, it is ideal for medium use areas and is compliant with the Equality Act, suitable for living accommodation and office corridors.
The Rutland TS9205 is a slim-line, power adjustable heavy duty arm door closer with an architectural finish. With a 120-minute fire rating, this overhead closer is ideal for use in student accommodations, as well as in office corridors, hotels and public buildings.
The Arrone AR3500 Door Closer and Rutland TS9205 Door Closer both feature a delayed action option that slows down the closing speed of the door, making it ideal for prams or wheelchair access. For durability, the backcheck function on both products offers resistance when the door is opened with excessive force, preventing damage to doors, making these ideal for high traffic areas and affording building owners with a longer door lifecycle.
For more guidance, please read IronmongeryDirect’s Fire Door Checklist: www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/fire-door-checklist