A concealed fire door closer is an alternative to the traditional overhead fire door closer found in buildings such as healthcare facilities, education settings and care homes. Whereas an overhead fire door closer is visible and easily damaged, a concealed fire door closer is hidden between the door and the frame.
The purpose of a fire door closer is to automatically close doors in the event of a fire to prevent the spread of smoke and flames. Specifiers are increasingly likely to choose concealed fire door closers over traditional due to the benefits they provide for users of public and private buildings.
Benefits of concealed fire door closers
There are several benefits of concealed fire door closers.
- Concealed fire door closers remove the ligature risk of traditional fire door closers. An overhead fire door closer is perfectly positioned and easily accessible to be used as a ligature point. Out of sight and without the same accessibility, a concealed fire door closer doesn’t present the same risk.
- With determined force, an overhead fire door closer can be deliberately vandalised or removed and potentially used to barricade a room. If a fire door is left without a fully functioning door closer it is no longer safe and may have to be fully replaced, which is also costly.
- A concealed fire door closer doesn’t harbour dust and detritus because it has no horizontal surfaces. This is particularly advantageous for healthcare settings.
- Whereas an overhead fire door closer needs room for its installation and the operation of the door, a concealed fire door closer takes up no space in the room.
- An overhead door closer is synonymous with institutional environments. A concealed fire door closer improves aesthetics and makes building interiors more welcoming and homely.
Applications of concealed fire door closers
Concealed fire door closers are widely specified for social housing, healthcare and mental health settings. The robust safety provision and the benefits of concealed fire door closers listed above, make them a much stronger solution than overhead alternatives.
By removing the potential ligature, vandalism and hygiene risks, concealed fire door closers are becoming increasingly recognised for their impact on the safety of social housing, healthcare and mental health settings.
Concealed fire door closers – Powermatic R100 and Powermatic R108
Samuel Heath is a market leader in concealed fire door closers.
Our Powermatic R100 is one of the world’s most technologically advanced concealed fire door closers. It is the only jamb-mounted concealed door closer to have been awarded a Certifire certification. This independent endorsement from a globally recognised regulatory authority demonstrates the unrivalled performance of the product.
The Powermatic Axis R108 has been developed to work with the popular Tectus concealed hinge system that operates using the hinge’s central pivot axis to provide exceptional levels of fire safety performance.
Project focus
United Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust trialled the Powermatic R100 concealed fire door closer in one of its hospitals.
Installed in a high usage area where it would be in use all day, every day, the benefits of the Powermatic R100 soon became evident. The trial was so successful that all fire door closers across the Trust are now replaced with a Powermatic R100 whenever the need arises. More information about this project can be found here.
Why buy your concealed fire door closers from Samuel Heath?
Samuel Heath has been a leading name in concealed fire door closer technology for over 60 years. Our expertise is unrivalled, and we offer a proactive approach to advising specifiers on fire door closers for their specific projects.
Work with the best! Contact Samuel Heath to discuss your upcoming project.
