Door Industry Journal - Summer 2014

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 74 THE door industry journal summer 2014 building hardware feature The freedom of Free Swing By Mark Stonelake, technical services manager at Samuel Heath & Sons plc Powermatic Free Swing is the latest addition to Samuel Heath’s range of Powermatic controlled, concealed door closers. Designed and manufactured in the UK, Powermatic door closers are mounted in the door jamb, between the door and door frame, which means that they are totally concealed when the door is closed, and particularly unobtrusive when the door is open. This concealment, together with a number of additional unique features, delivers many benefits to a wide range of situations throughout the building industry. Powermatic Free Swing is, as its name suggests, a free swing door closer. It is capable of operating in the same way as the popular Powermatic door closer, but once its mechanism has been primed, Powermatic Free Swing allows the door to be operated manually, with no additional resistance, and left open as desired. This functionality is achieved through electronic controls incorporated within the door closer’s body. The door closer is connected to the building’s 24-volt fire alarm system. Its mechanism is primed by simply opening the door to its maximum, at which point the door closer becomes inactive until the fire alarm is activated or there is a power failure, at which point the door closer’s mechanisms are reactivated, automatically closing the door at a controlled rate. Powermatic Free Swing meets all relevant fire and accessibility requirements (see Fig. 1 ), but being totally concealed when the door is closed, it offers a number of advantages over surface- mounted door closers in terms of enhanced aesthetics and safety. The benefits of concealment vary according to the situations in which Powermatic Free Swing is used. Whilst some of these benefits apply to more than one building type, different buildings will experience them to a greater or lesser degree according to the particular needs and use of the premises and their occupants:- Convenience in care Whilst every type of building should be designed and constructed to meet relevant fire safety standards, it is particularly important in those facilities that provide accommodation for the elderly and infirm; people who often need to be given more protection in the case of fire and more time to effect an escape. In theory, both private and public providers of residential care should be well aware of their responsibilities, but media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that fire safety measures, particularly in privately-operated homes, often fall short of modern standards. Premises have been branded as fire hazards and owners accused of putting the lives of residents at risk. From the ironmongery perspective, the area that causes the greatest concern is in the area of fire resisting doorsets, with some care home managers allowing doors to be propped open, or door closers to be disabled, for the convenience of staff and residents. The answer, of course, is to fit a free swing door closer, something which is now recommended in the government’s Fire Risk Safety Assessment: Residential Care Premises. By allowing the door to be operated manually, or left open as desired, the free swing door closer removes the need to wedge doors open, providing staff and residents with the convenience they require. The manual, virtually resistance-free operation facilitated by the free swing door closer also makes a significant contribution towards achieving accessibility requirements. Aside from fire safety considerations, residential care and nursing homes value the ability to create comfortable, less institutionalised environments for their residents. High-end facilities will also wish to have an enhanced aesthetic appearance Samuel Heath’s Powermatic Free Swing controlled, concealed door closer Free Swing door closers are recommended for use in care homes.