All You Need to Know About Fire-Rated Garage Doors
There is a wide array of commercial and residential garage doors that differ from each other based on their functional usage and operation. A fire-rated garage door is a purpose-built commercial garage door mostly needed in establishments that have high fire hazard classification and already have firewalls in place.
Material Matters in Fire-Rated Garage Doors
Construction wise, fire-rated garage doors are not really different. In most of the cases, they operate like any other roll-up garage door. What distinguishes them from the rest of garage doors is the material used in their making. Like firewalls, fire-rated garage doors are also used to prevent the spread of any blaze incident. Therefore, they are needed to be constructed with materials that can pass the safety ratings prescribed by UL.
Blazed glass, stainless steel, gypsum, aluminum, and vermiculite are the materials that are usually used in different combinations and compositions in the making of fire-rated glass doors. However, stainless steel is the predominant material in most of the fire-rated garage doors. There are various reasons why manufacturers prefer to use stainless steel in the making of fire-rated garage doors.
High Melting Point
Stainless steel can withstand high temperatures (up to 1000 degree Celsius) without undergoing deformation. This trait definitely makes them a good choice to be used in settings with greater fire hazard rating.
Reasonable Cost
In comparison to other materials, stainless steel comes at a fairly reasonable price.
Good Noise Absorber
Fire-rated garage doors are mostly used in manufacturing facilities which produce a lot of noise pollution during operations. Stainless steel has a good sound absorption rate, making them a natural choice for any construction in any manufacturing setting.
Fire-Rated Garage Doors Work with Trigger Systems
The main objective of any fire-rated garage door is to contain any spreading fire. For that matter, they have to be integrated with a trigger system that can sense the nearby heat to set off the closing of the door. In most of the cases, a fusible solder link is used as the trigger system. In a fire accident, the solder melts resulting in the termination of connection holding the door. Electronic release devices are also used as trigger systems in some fire-rated garage doors.
Maintenance of Fire-Rated Garage Doors
One needs to be extra diligent with the garage door repair of fire-rated installments. A door that can’t be efficiently closed and open will kill the entire purpose of its fire rating. Make sure their tracks are aligned, rollers are not worn out, and sensor/trigger is properly working with expert help.
Importance of Fire-Rated Garage Doors
A large number of raw materials used in manufacturing establishments are inflammable. Then many production processes also have an inherent combustible characteristic. Moreover, you can’t rule out human errors entirely out of the equation. In short, fire is a very real threat in any manufacturing setting. Fire-rated garage doors can play an integral role in mitigating any potential loss caused by any blaze incident.