Concealed fire door closers are specified by property developers, facilities managers, architects and interior designers to keep buildings and people safe.
Concealed fire door closers
Concealed fire door closers are preferred by many specifiers as an alternative to traditional, overhead fire door closers.
Overhead fire door closers present facilities managers and residents of social housing, mental health facilities and healthcare sites with a ligature risk. The height and structure of an overhead door closer makes it an obvious ligature point.
Vandalism is another issue presented by overhead fire door closers. Some residents are opposed to their door automatically closing behind them so deliberately damage the overhead door closer. This presents a fire safety risk. Often, when a fire door closer is damaged, the functionality of the fire door itself is compromised, so the entire door has to be replaced. This is costly and also dangerous while waiting for a replacement to be installed.
Being positioned out of sight, concealed fire door closers don’t pose the same risks. They are also easier to inspect and clean, and don’t represent the institutionalised environment that is associated with overhead fire door closers. Instead they facilitate a more homely and cosy aesthetic which is known to accelerate recovery in healthcare environments.
Important factors when specifying concealed fire door closers
Here are some important factors when specifying concealed fire door closers.
- Does the concealed fire door closer meet fire safety standards, substantiated through independent certification?
- BS EN 1154 (500,000 opening and closing cycles without loss of performance or significant wear, and other criteria)
- BS EN 1634-1 (fire testing for one-hour and half-hour latched and unlatched fire doors)
- EN 1634 (Europe-wide standard for fire resistance testing)
- Certifire certification (independent, industry recognised third party fire safety certification)
- Does the concealed fire door closer meet manufacturing processes and systems standard BS EN ISO 9001?
- Does the concealed fire door closer create the required aesthetics, particularly in healthcare settings?
More information on choosing a concealed fire door closer can be found here.
Samuel Heath – keeping buildings and people safe
Samuel Heath has been at the forefront of door closer technology for over 60 years. Our fire door closers and non-fire door closers meet the highest industry standards which is why our products are installed across the world.
Our two leading concealed door closers are the Powermatic R100 and Powermatic Axis R108.
Hidden door closer for fire doors – Powermatic R100
The Powermatic R100 hidden door closer for fire doors is globally recognised as one of the most advanced concealed door closers available to specifiers. It is a high performance product for both fire doors and non-fire doors. It is CE and UKCA marked, and certified to BS EN 1634-1, BS 476 and BS EN ISO 9001: 2015.
The Powermatic R100 is also the only jamb-mounted concealed door closer with Certifire accreditation. This is an industry renowned, independent, third party fire safety certification.
A full brochure of the Powermatic R100 with all certifications can be found here.
Fire rated concealed door closer – Powermatic R108
The Powermatic R108 fire rated concealed door closer is CE marked (EN1154), UKCA marked (BS1154) and BS EN 1634-1 fire tested for FD60 and FD30 timber doors. The Powermatic R108 was designed for the Simonswerk Tectus concealed hinge system.
A full brochure of the Powermatic R108 with all certifications can be found here.
Do you need concealed fire door closers for your building or project?
If you are a facilities manager or property developer looking for concealed door closers to keep buildings and people safe, get in touch with Samuel Heath.