Fire Door History: How have they changed over time?

When it comes to fire safety, fire doors have been an essential tool for a long time now. They are incredibly effective at containing the spread of a fire, and so are a feature in businesses, public spaces and care homes to help keep the people within them safe and to minimise the damage that a fire can cause.

In this article, Fire Door Specialists takes a look at the origins of the fire door, how it has changed over the time and what it might look like in the future.

Fire door origins

During the late 18th century, doors started to evolve from being simply an entrance and exit point into something more secure, and the development of the fire door closely followed this.

Events such as the Great Fire of London showed how easily fires could spread, with 85% of the population of the city being left homeless as a result. This led to the 1667 Rebuilding Act, which focused on eliminating the features that had allowed the fire to spread at such a rapid rate.

It was at this point that laws were put in place to prevent any building being made from anything other than brick or stone.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire of 1911 in Manhattan showed the importance of fire evacuation procedures, as locked doors meant that many workers were unable to escape and 146 lost their lives.

More recently, the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 showed how the materials used in a building can contribute to the spread of a fire instead of slowing it down.

Fire door development

When fire doors were first constructed in the 20th century, they were made from the fire-resistant asbestos. It was not until the 1970s that the health risks of this material were understood, and it was banned completely by 1999.

There are now strict rules in place governing what materials can be used in a fire door, with the majority being made from timber. However, composite fire doors combining the likes of gypsum, steel and vermiculite boards are becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that they are not only strong and durable but are also resistant to warping and cracking.

Fire regulations in the UK state that all fire doors must be tested and certified to BS 476-22. During the testing process for this, doors are exposed to the kind of heat conditions that would be experienced during a real fire in order to observe the stability and integrity of the door.

The future of fire doors

We all understand the importance of fire doors, but they have often been unattractive things. There is now a focus from architects and designers to make them more aesthetically pleasing and sympathetic to their environments without losing any of their functionality. Fire doors are already becoming easier to customise, and so they are changing to accommodate different finishes, veneers and designs.

In terms of the materials that are being used, timber still provides the greatest versatility, however glazed fire doors are starting to become a more popular feature as they still allow for the flow of natural light and visibility through the building. There is ongoing research into materials which offer even greater fire protection, with a focus on things like mycelium.

Technology is a big feature in fire doors, and this will only continue, allowing for the remote monitoring of the status of a door, smoke and fire sensors and mechanisms that will automatically close a fire door in the event of a fire.

Fire doors provide an immediate defence against fires and are therefore an essential tool that will continue to develop for many years to come.