Access doors most likely wouldn’t be the first item that comes to mind when discussing fire protection. However, they still play a crucial role in ensuring that your buildings comply with local building codes and that people make it out safely in the event of a fire.
Fire-rated access doors fall into the ‘passive fire protection systems’ category. Passive fire protection means their job is to prevent fires from spreading into other areas instead of directly putting out fires. Getting fire-rated access panels would be a great place to start if you’re looking for ways to keep your building safe.
Table of Contents
Details on Passive Fire Protection
First, it’s essential to know that no fire-rated access panel is fireproof. The “fire-rated” in its name means that credible third-party agencies test these access panels to see how long they would last in a fire and give them a rating from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
It would be best to place these passive fire protection systems in critical areas such as stairwells to allow you the most time to get out of the building. In addition, you can also use them to protect essential equipment in your building from sustaining too much damage if a fire breaks out. You can be best prepared for a fire breakout when you use these passive systems in tandem with active fire protection systems (like sprinklers and fire extinguishers).
Motivations for Installing Fire-Rated Access Panels
While fire-rated access doors compartmentalize fires to specific locations, there are other tasks they serve in your building, such as:
-
Accessibility
These access doors are the best solution for near-complete access to any utilities you’ve tucked away from plain sight, and you won’t have to tear out your walls or ceilings whenever you do maintenance work, saving you time and money in the process.
You’ll also be glad to know that you can purchase fire-rated access doors with a shallow depth, so you’ll still enjoy most of the wall cavity space to route utilities like electrical lines or water pipes.
-
Variety
Another fantastic feature of these access panels is the variety you have in your selection. Whether working on plaster, drywall, or masonry, you can purchase access doors made explicitly for materials, giving you a seamless look with the surrounding wall or ceiling.
-
Ease of Installation
On the topic of access doors built for certain materials, you’ll also have an easier time installing these access doors. For example, an excellent fire-rated access door for drywall should have a drywall bead flange that’ll make it easier for you to add drywall compound once you’ve finished installing it.
One of the best access doors you can use for easy installation is the fire-rated access panel wall installation surface mount. You’ll only need to place it on the designated spot and fasten it to the studs behind the wall — no need for complicated installation procedures.
-
Durability
When you buy an access door designed to withstand fires, you can also trust that it’s solidly built. Typically fire-rated access doors use steel for their door and frame. Steel has a high melting point and is also naturally resistant to damage, making it the perfect material for fire-rated access doors.
However, you can also easily find aluminum fire-rated access doors with superior corrosion resistance making them ideal for exterior applications.
In Conclusion
Fire-rated access panels play a crucial role in protecting your building from fires. By containing fires in specific areas, you create spaces for safe passage and make creating a fire evacuation plan easier. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about fires immediately compromising the structural integrity of your building when you have the proper passive fire protection systems in place.
The safety these access doors provide and their other features ensure you get the most value when installing them in your building.