Fire door hardware is designed to withstand heat and flames for a period to allow anyone inside to escape and keep people safe in case of emergency.
They're also used in commercial buildings to prevent fires from spreading through the building. We will strictly be talking about a standard residential home today as there are various laws for commercial properties, residential unit complexes which don’t apply to single storey dwellings. Just to be clear, by law you do not require fire rated door hardware for single storey residential dwellings in Australia.
Here's how to choose the right door hardware for your home.
If you're looking for a new door hardware solution for your home and you would like it to be fire tested, there are several things to consider before making a purchase.
Make sure the door hardware will work with any other elements you have or are considering purchasing. This means hinges, locks, door levers, pull handles, escutcheons, cylinders along with any dressing on the door too.
Choose Your Entry Door Function
Choose what type of function you would like on your entry door, is it a pull handle, lever handle, door knob or do you have sliding doors? Don’t put too much pressure on the fire aspect here, there will always be options regardless of what application that is selected.
For an example, if you’re selecting a lever on rose with escutcheon (most typical choice), all Architectural Choice metallic roses (RC08M) are fire tested.
To go along with that, Urban, Yokohama, Brooklyn, and Monaco are also, allowing you freedom of choice with the range across the four PVD finishes and Brushed Chrome as well. If you prefer a pull handle instead that is fine also and can be matched with accessories across the range.
Select A Lock That Is Tested
Just as the heading states, select a lock that is fire tested. This means the product has passed rigorous testing procedures designed to simulate the effects of a fire.
All Architectural Choice mortice locks have been tested and passed comfortably. If you would like an easy egress mortice lock, we can help you out there as well.
What is an easy egress lock you say? Put simply, this is a mortice lock that has a function where you can always exit the door while the exterior is locked. It’s a fantastic function that a small percentage of locks have the capacity for.
Not all Architectural Choice mortice locks come with this function so please get in touch with our team if you would like more information or to select one for your project.
Ensure Selections Are Highest Quality
The Architectural Choice PVD products are not only finished with the longest lasting coating in the industry, but the process also strengthens the base material.
This is a huge advantage when making fire door hardware selections. They’re made of the highest quality components with no shortcuts taken in the engineering, design, development, or production stages. We would also recommend going with our ball bearing hinges too. Not only are they fire tested, they’re of the highest quality and to top it off they’ll make your doors swing with freedom for years to come.
Hire A Professional Installer
Installing external door hardware can be a tricky process for the best of DIYers. That is why we recommend getting a professional that will make sure the job is done to perfection. This way it will be done right the first time and your door hardware will last a long time. It will certainly cost you less money by firstly purchasing high quality products and then gaining the services of a professional installer. If you have any questions about the product range or technical door hardware advice, get in touch with our customer service team today.