Smoke Seals On Fire Doors
Smoke seals are designed to accomplish this.
Smoke seals on fire doors. How to install smoke seals on a fire door. Intumescent seals or gaskets are not required on fire rated steel doors. Fire door seals or fire and smoke seals. Category g edge sealing systems systems that are surface applied to frames or doors and required for category b doors.
The application of a fire seal and smoke seals to a door assembly is a proven method to improve safety help save lives and improve tenable conditions in egress routes. Not all fire doors and smoke doors are required to have air leakage limited to this level the key is to look for the reference to ul 1784 in the requirements for a specific door location. Intumescent fire door seals should be fitted to the stiles and head of a fire resisting doorset. For example for a 20 minute fire door on an architect s door schedule the hardware specifier will designate a labeled door and frame positive latching hardware a door closer or automatic closing device and gasketing.
Smoke gaskets on fire doors must meet smoke and draft control requirements. This will prevent both fire and smoke from seeping through the sides or bottom of the door. Fire doors are very effective at retaining fire for a period of time and smoke seals fill their weak point which is the space between the door and frame to ensure an airtight seal fire and smoke will travel through any gap to the air beyond so it is important that fire doors have an effective seal at all times. These seals incorporate flexible smoke sealing fins that restrict the passage of the cool and medium temperature smoke generated in the early stages of a fire.
These seals are fitted into grooves cut into the door or the frame or alternatively can be surface mounted. A gasket is required to provide a seal where the door meets the stop at the top and on both sides. Requires category g system with gasket for fire and possibly smoke. Certain variations of intumescent strips include smoke seals as part of their makeup.
Category b doors additional edge sealing system required see category g. For example the ibc requires this limited airflow for fire doors that are also smoke and draft control doors in corridors and smoke barriers. Generally speaking the requirement for intumescent seals or gaskets are a function of the individual manufacturers listing. A regular fire and smoke seal will be fitted to a fire door.
In commercial buildings in the united states fire rated doors require special gaskets to prevent smoke from getting through the opening during a fire. Intumescent products are typically used for a smoke and fire barrier on wood doors and are activated by heat. As soon as the temperature in the vicinity of the strips exceeds 200 c usually about 10 15. The gaskets must be fire listed and approved for use in a smoke and draft control assembly.
Smoke seals and intumescent strips can indeed work well together. Fire doors even the 20 minute assemblies are subject to completely different criteria than the non fire rated smoke doors.