Fire Exits & Escapes Service & Maintenance

Fire doors – the difference between internal and external

Fire doors are an essential part of any building and fall into 2 categories, either internal or external.

EXTERNAL FIRE DOOR

An external fire door, typically known as a fire escape, fire exit, emergency door, emergency escape door, panic bar door or emergency exit door are installed on the outside perimeter of a building.

An emergency fire exit door usually serves as the final opening to the outside of the building which is designated by an Emergency Exit which is illuminated.

They easily opened via a panic bar or push pad from the inside in the event of an emergency, or can also be opened from the outside required using an external access device.

They can be manufactured out of glass, aluminium, timber or steel depending on the location, security requirements or size.

INTERNAL FIRE DOOR

An internal fire door, typically known as a wooden door, timber door, corridor door is a fire-resistant, safety utility designed to prevent the spread of fire within a building long enough to save lives and crucial properties / documents. Typically, these are manufactured from timber and maybe situated in corridors or entrance doors to rooms.

Fire doors are specialist doors which have been tested against the elements and purpose-built to withstand fires for as long as possible, either 30, 60 or 120 minutes. They enable buildings to compartmentalise and delay the spread of fire from one area to another, and form a crucial part of a passive fire protection strategy. These are designated by either a Fire door keep closed or keep locked sign on both sides of the door.

We at BH Doors specialise in External fire doors for use in an emergency to escape whether this is by a panic bar, paddle handle, thumb turn lock. We can offer repairs or servicing for compliance as part of your fire safety strategy.

Planned in advance at your most convenient time
Specific schedule of works
Risk assessment and safety checklist
Test operation for safe escape
Minor repairs included
Adjust speeds of floor spring / transom closer / overhead closer if required
Separate quotation for defects or recommendations
Prioritise quotations on multiple door sites

Why have your fire escape or emergency exit serviced?

The purpose of an emergency exit in a building is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc.

For compliance to BS9999, fire escapes should be serviced and inspected every 6 months.

This may also be a stipulation of your building insurance, your lease agreement or part of your Fire risk assessment for your fire exits to be maintained.

When carrying out a service we have a specific schedule of works which includes adjustments and minor repairs. This may be to adjust the closing speed if a door closer such as a transom, overhead or concealed type is fitted.

It is also important to test and check the operation as there are maximum forces to open these types of doors, so all engineers carry force gauges on their vans for this purpose.

We documented our findings on our Risk Assessment Checklist for each door so you have a record and documented evidence as this may form part of their fire risk assessment.

Any repairs or defects which could not be rectified at the service were provided by means of a separate quotation per door to allow you to put a plan in place for the repairs and spread the cost.

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SPECIFICATION

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REPAIR

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SERVICE

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DOCUMENTATION

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RISK ASSESSMENT

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PRICE

We provide service contracts and preventative maintenance on a range of manufacturers equipment. From a one-off service to 3-year fixed cost contract, call us on 0808 1200911 to discuss your requirements.

FAQs

My fire escape is not opening, can you help?

Yes of course, but be aware we cover Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Wiltshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Peterborough and Suffolk and depending on the severity of your problem we may be able to offer a same day response.

Is are any of the following your problem –

When you depress the panic bar, is the door still locked?
Does the door release but will not open fully?
Can you escape form the building, but cannot enter from outside anymore?
Does your key not unlock the door from outside?

If yes, then call us now

My fire escape door is difficult to lock, can you help?

Yes of course, many issues with locks are not a problem with the lock it is the fact that the door is not aligned correctly. This means that the latch or hook lock cannot go into the keep easily which means you will require more force on your key. In extreme cases the key will snap and you could be left in an unsecure condition where you cannot lock or unlock your building.

If you are experiencing this call us now as it could be a simple realignment of your door will rectify this.

Can you fix my door on a call out?

We offer a fixed call out rate which includes the first hour on site as generally we either repair within that time or it will require additional works / spare parts to which we will provide a quotation.

Common spare parts are on our engineer’s vans specifically for Fire escape doors, aluminium doors including pivots, hinges and closers.

Modern Art Oxford

“Yes I would recommend them too – really professional and competitive, much better than larger national companies I’ve used before.”

Parkway Shopping Centre

“BH doors have demonstrated professionalism, excellent customer service and super quality of repairs. I thank you for making my role easier. I only wish I could persuade my company to deal with you all the time.”

Mainstay Group

“Just thought I would drop a line and thank you for the help today, exceptional services as normal.”