Fire Doors for a barn conversion.

[Tom Sutton]

We live in a beautiful barn in Kent and are currently having a loft conversion built which has necessitated the installation of fire doors.  I've had several companies visit, but to be honest the particle board/veneer option is not one we really want to go down as a modern door just wouldn't look right in a barn environment.  I have today visited a local mill who can hand make in solid oak 4/5 plank wide 22mm (or thicker as required) with a 32mm 4 ledges on the reverse with matching frames with the intumescent strips built in.  The problem is that they are not fire door certificated and naturally this is a requirement of our council building inspector.

Any ideas on the above recent enquirey I received. Apart from cold smoke seals which they do not mention is there any compensatory factors they could provide that may make it acceptable to a building control inspector

[kurnal]

You need to take advantage of fire tests carried out by others such as envirograf or sealmaster, or work done on behalf of English Heritage.

I would speak to envirograf first and ask their local agent for copies of the BS476 test reports for their clear intumescent treatment and copy the spec for the doors. They have tested various spec panels, dont take this as gospel but if I recall correctly they have one for softwood with something like 38mm stiles and 9mm fielded panels that achieved 45minutes. If you mimic the spec it should be ok with the inspector and hardwood is always superior to softwood.

[wee brian]

Get on to Auntie Lynne at ADSMA (google it) she will know what to do.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks never disappointed all useful info. As my enquirer is monitoring this thread I will add the link to ASDMA`s Best Practice Guide to Timber Fire Doors at http://www.asdma.com/