Are There Fire-Rated Pocket Doors For Safety?

Fire safety regulations are generally designed around the risk levels of a particular building, along with its occupancy levels. The most basic requirement for fire safety – from the UK Government’s Fire Safety Guidance Approved Document B - is that "the building shall be designed and constructed so that there are appropriate provisions for the early warning of fire, and appropriate means of escape in case of fire from the building to a place of safety outside the building capable of being safely and effectively used at all times". In terms of doors, this means that fire doors must be fitted in certain buildings and to suit certain circumstances, and for that reason, yes, there are fire-rated pocket doors for the purposes of fire safety.

What are FD30 fire-rated pocket doors?

The most common type of fire-rated pocket door is the FD30 pocket door. This offers exactly the same qualities as a standard pocket door in terms of space-saving design, lightweight frame, ease of installation and chic, elegant appearance. But the main difference is that a FD30 fire-rated pocket door has been tested to contain fire for a minimum of 30 minutes.

When designing and constructing new buildings, fire safety is a primary consideration and this comes down to containment. In other words, how can the building be designed and fitted-out to contain a fire in the event of an outbreak? Fire doors are designed to contain a fire and prevent it spreading. So an FD30 fire-rated door should contain the fire for a minimum of 30 minutes, which buys time for the occupants of a building and enables them to evacuate to a safe place.

How do I know if I need a fire-rated pocket door?

You should always seek professional advice on what fire doors should be fitted in a building. There are different building regulation requirements for different types of buildings, so you should always seek suitable confirmation on what applies to your specific building in question. Your local building control would be your best source of information. Generally speaking, in a domestic residential setting, for example, fire doors are only needed for rooms where people sleep or spend considerable time. This is usually bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens. So in normal circumstances you would not need to install a fire door in a domestic bathroom.

How is an FD30 fire-rated pocket door tested?

There are a number of different testing bodies for fire-rated doors, Eclisse fire kits are accessed by International Fire Consultants who work under field of application report PAR/10057/01 Revision E. They carry out standard fire testing to BS 476: Part 22: 1987. This is a series of tests carried out on building materials and structures to determine the fire resistance of non-load-bearing elements of a building’s construction. All the Eclisse FD30 fire-rated pocket doors supplied by MB Direct are tested to this specification. When using the Eclisse fire rated kit you need to specific fire doors see website for further details on compatible doors.

In most cases an FD30 fire-rated pocket door will contain the spread of fire for longer than 30 minutes, sometimes up to one hour. But 30 minutes is the minimum period that is guaranteed by the manufacturers and determined by the testing programme. It is possible to install fire doors that have been tested to contain fire for up to four hours, but these are not common for residential or commercial buildings, and are more suited to high-risk industrial buildings where pocket doors are not usually installed.

Contact MB Direct for help and support when choosing your pocket door system

If you need any further advice on the suitability of fire-rated pocket doors and where you might need them, you can speak to our sales experts at MB Direct. We can also advise on the entirety of our pocket door range, and what would be most suitable for the space and circumstances you are considering, so get in touch with our team today.