Door Industry Journal - Winter 2015

102 THE door industry journal winter 2015 building hardware feature Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Looking beyond performance Anyone concerned with the design, construction or management of buildings will be aware of the critical role that door closers play in assuring the safety of a building’s occupants in case of fire. They ensure that fire doors close automatically, either at all times or when initiated by fire warning systems, and are held shut against their fire/smoke seals, allowing the door to perform the function for which it is designed. Whilst performing this vital function reliably is a key factor in product selection, specifiers and managers are becoming increasingly aware of the added benefits that concealed door closers can provide in areas such as safety, risk reduction, reliability and maintenance costs. Professionals will also be aware of the requirements imposed by the Equality Act to assure unhindered access to facilities for the physically impaired. Finding a door closer that meets relevant fire and accessibility criteria should not be difficult for the majority of projects. Most commercially available products will, at the very least, be able to meet the minimum mandatory performance criteria for the size and weight of doors they are designed for. Choosing the right door closer for a given application relies not only on assessing the product against fire and accessibility requirements, but on looking beyond performance at other factors which can have a bearing on the safety, comfort and well-being of the building’s occupants. These factors can have a significant effect on the ability of the door closer, and fire door, to perform reliably, but also on the quality of the user experience in terms of safety, comfort and well-being, and the aesthetics of the building. It goes without saying that door closers must, at all times, be able to perform the function for which they are intended. The main reasons for a door closer failing to work are poor reliability and the likelihood of fire doors being wedged open. Reliability Failure of a door closer can lead to failure of the entire fire door to perform the duty for which it is intended; to keep fire and smoke at bay. In the case of fire, such a failure could be devastating. Quality of design and manufacture, together with cycle testing of door closers, certainly provide some assurance of a product’s durability, but other factors can have a considerable effect on the ability of a door closer, and fire door, to function at all times.