“Safety” and “style” are two terms that don’t tend to have much in common in many minds. For that reason, it’s easy to see why very few people consider picking out new fire doors to be the most exciting part of their home refurbishment, renovation or new build. However, just because doors are “regulation” doesn’t mean they have to be uniform and drab by any means. To explain further, here’s a brief guide created by the experts at WonkeeDonkee XL Joinery.
Do I Need a Fire Door?
Each home has its own individual needs when it comes to safety fittings, so it may be that you’ll need to ask a specialist – such as an architect or your council’s Building Control Officer – about your own unique case. However, there are a few specific guidelines. If your house has two floors and an entrance leading directly from the main building into a garage, you’ll definitely need to fit a fire door. Also, if your property has three storeys or more (including loft conversions) every room of the stairwell that is habitable requires a fire door. If you are replacing your existing internal doors, it’s usually fine to take note of the fire doors that are already installed and replace them like-for-like. Generally, if fire doors were not originally in place, you shouldn’t need to install them, but it’s certainly worth taking a look at the BWF Certifire guidelines on the matter to make doubly sure.
Available External and Internal Fire Doors
If you’ve found that your home definitely requires fire doors to be fitted – or you’d just prefer to obtain some for extra safety and security – you might just be surprised at the variety on offer. Safety focused fittings are often considered stuffy-looking and lacking in elegance, but that doesn’t have to be the case at all. In fact, it’s very easy to find fire doors that appear identical to regular internal and external doors in order to extend the decor of your home. Take a look at the below examples – all of which are stocked by WonkeeDonkee XL Joinery.
Wooden Fire Doors
While the fire door is a modern invention, the popular traditional style of wooden panelled door can easily be purchased with an additional half hour fire rating. In fact, this particular design is created to be identical to a set of regular internal doors, helping to keep the look of your home consistent throughout. There is a great variety of oak fire doors and safety doors in other types of wood available, from the classic Victorian fire doors shown above to more modern styles.
Glazed Fire Doors
You can even get fire doors that are fitted with glazed panels, showing that having a fire safety approved door doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your use of light when designing your home. All glazed fire doors are fitted with extra secure toughened safety glass that conforms to BS EN 12173, and come in a wide variety of styles from traditional panelling to elegant contemporary curved designs.
High Standards
As well as boasting an robust half hour fire rating, each fire door from WonkeeDonkee XL Joinery has been created using FSC approved materials and suppliers. They also come with a 10 year manufacturer defect guarantee for your peace of mind.
There are many other fire door designs to choose from on the Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery website, so visit www.wonkeedonkeexljoinery.co.uk today to find the perfect style for your home. You can also call 01938 557733 to discuss your specific needs with an expert adviser.