Can Fire Doors Be Made From Glass?

Construction & Contractors Blog

Thinking of installing a fire door in your residential, commercial or industrial premises? Fire doors come in a variety of shapes, makes and sizes to suit your doorways. But can you install a glass door that's also fire resistant?

Fire doors can be both a necessity in some buildings and an additional safety feature in others and can provide life-saving fire, heat and smoke protection in the event of a fire or emergency.

Glass Fire Doors

In a nutshell, the answer is yes, fire doors can be made of glass!

Today's manufacturing and fire testing technologies mean that glass doors can also be fire resistant, giving you more design and architectural options to work with when it comes to choosing your fire doors.

Glass fire doors should be tested and rated to meet all Building Code of Australia standards (AS-1905, AS-1530), as well as the safety and fire standards of the building itself. They can be made with metal or timber frames and hardware, which can also have the same fire resistant ratings as the actual glass. Glass doors can be swinging or hinged, sliding or bi-parting, and they can be installed as single or paired doors. They can also be manual or automatic, but they should automatically close if a fire or emergency alarm is triggered.

If you don't want your doors to be completely made of glass, you can opt for another type of fire door (timber, steel, etc.) that simply has an insulated, glazed viewing panel or window installed. This can be common in buildings like hospitals, clinics, schools, libraries and so on.

Why Go For Glass?

Glass doors can be wonderful options when it comes to building design, letting light to flow into a given space and boosting the visual appeal of the premises, helping it to feel more open and spacious. Glass doors can also provide residents, guests, or customers with opportunities for outside views, and they can bring much practicality too, allowing the space to be well-lit.

What Other Features Can Come With Your Glazed Fire Doors?

If you're thinking of glass for your fire door, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to make sacrifices on other qualities or features you want.

• Fire doors made from glass can also be double glazed, adding extra insulation to make the space or building more energy efficient, as well as fire resistant.
• Specialised types of glass can be coated in anti-reflective materials, which can be great for things like shop fronts, restaurants, and anywhere else that requires higher levels of visibility.
• You can choose from various frame and hardware designs or finishes for your doors or you can even have your frames and glass custom made to suit your space and various glass thicknesses are also available depending on both your design and fire needs.

Other Fire Door Tips

• Remember that fire doors, including ones made of glass, must be tested and certified as a whole unit (including frame and all hardware).
• Fire doors must only be installed by a licensed technician.
• If you already have glass doors, it may be possible to add a fire resistant glazing to them to make them fire compliant.
• Once installed, doors must display the appropriate legal certification and signage and should be regularly inspected to ensure functionality.

Share

8 August 2016