Architecture, Design & Innovation: Don’t play with fire

Monday 16 July 2018

Don’t play with fire

The tragic events of the Grenfell disaster leave an imprint that will remain with the industry for decades to come. Importantly lessons will be learnt and perhaps at last, attention will be paid to safety above other considerations when deciding upon risk critical building products such as fire doors and fire door assemblies. More immediately, we all await the inevitable changes to legislation and good practice, following Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review and how it will shape future product specification.

Understandably anticipation has resulted in concern amongst specifiers and stake holders as they try to evaluate current practices and plan for potential future changes, especially in respect to high-rise buildings. After all the specification of fire doors is a very serious matter and as we all know can have far reaching consequences if wrong decisions are made. It is little wonder therefore, that for specifiers in the housing sector using Vicaima products, any feeling of anxiety and apprehension regarding past, current and future use of fire doors is not an issue; providing of course that they have been correctly installed.

Of course the fire door in itself does not provide the complete solution, this can only be achieved with compatible and rigorously tested components, including the correct frame and ironmongery. This is why alongside fire doors, Vicaima also manufacture a range of door kit solutions via our Easi-Fit and Portaro brands. These products include a full scope of performance characteristics for current and future industry specifications, namely:

* Fire Tested to BS 476 Part 22 and BS EN 1634-1:2014
* Secure by Design approved products
* Acoustic performance, both inherent and additional as required
* FD30 to FD90 rated, with fire and smoke solutions
* Durability with DD171 and EN 1192 severe duty rating
* Mobility provision via glazing and dimensional flexibility
* Environmentally sound (all products are FSC Certified)* FD30 to FD90 rated, with fire and smoke solutions
* Long life with a 10 Year Guarantee

As specialist fire door manufacturers, Vicaima go beyond industry norms and simple compliance to provide ultimate peace of mind. Vicaima prides itself on the construction of its fire doors, using fully solid cores and a traditional stile and rail perimeter to enable reliable fixing of ironmongery. After all sometimes it is what you cannot see that makes the difference.

One of the recommendations outlined within the Independent Review, is the need for third party accreditation. Here Vicaima adhere to not one but two nationally recognised bodies to verify the performance of products, namely BWF-Certifire and BM TRADA Q-Mark. In each case traceability is assured with the use of tamper evident labels and plastic plugs to provide clear understanding of fire rating and of course origin of manufacture. You or indeed future custodians of fitted fire doors will be left in no doubt simply by looking at the top edge of any Vicaima fire door, where clear identification including a detailed inkjet stamp enables Vicaima to establish complete control of our products throughout their lifecycle.