Gerda Security Products fire doorsets offer a traceable and sound foundation for fire resistance and smoke control from a single source. For #Firedoorsafetyweek we are answering some of the frequently asked question about fire doors. Today’s questions feature testing for Internal Fire Doorsets 👇
 
Q: What is a primary test?
A: A primary test is a fire test to an industry standard: BS EN 1634-1 or BS 476-22 for a required period of time for resistance and BS EN 1634-3 or BS 476-31.1 for smoke leakage. In short, the whole doorset is burned to ensure all of the parts will work together to achieve a minimum 30 minutes in fire test conditions. The smoke leakage test is a cold (ambient temperature) smoke test on the complete doorset.

Fire Doorsets designed by Gerda Security Products, are designed for significant overrun (longer than the requisite time).
 
Q: Will one primary test be enough?
A: One primary test is limiting – it means that what is tested is what is produced in simple terms – with little variation, Gerda are proud to have tested more than any other manufacturer offering the widest variety of primary tested options.
 
Q: How do you ensure that you specify a doorset type that can address a range of sizes, styles, hardware, sealing to structure solutions, frame configurations etc?
A: A doorset range will have a field of application which details the scope of manufacture, associated with the primary tests of that manufacturer or cascaded test evidence from a System House (so not owned by the door producer).

Gerda Security Products owns 9 Field of Application reports for internal doorsets, based on its extensive primary tests.
 
Q: What do we do at Gerda Security Products and why?
A: At Gerda Security Products, we design and we primary test our doorsets (as opposed to using cascaded test evidence from a system house), at independent UKAS test houses.
 
Having an extensive library of primary-owned test evidence means we have a choice of solutions to draw upon for the existing built environment, helping with building safety needs. And we test the same doorset design and construction for all other aspects of performance needed for building regulations.

For internal doorsets, we own 9 field of application reports, featuring 59 primary-owned tests, totalling over 1700 pages of test evidence on fire resistance and smoke control alone.

For more information please contact us, or visit our internal doorset pages: Safer Homes Range Internal, Contemporary Range Internal.