Winkhaus UK launch range of UKCA external fire doorsets

Following an 18-month development, test and accreditation program, door and window hardware manufacturer and fire door solution systems house Winkhaus UK Ltd have launched a range of timber and composite UKCA 3rd party certified external fire doorset solutions to massively increase the scope and market offering for existing and prospective fire doorset manufacturing partners.

Andy Townend Commercial Manager Fire states, “Fire safety and fire doorset legislation has changed significantly in recent years, with the testing and accreditation requirements for external fire doorsets significantly different than those for internal solutions.

The design and test evidence for a fire doorset is the “Golden Thread” that flows through the lifecycle of a fire door and is the reference point for the other stages of specification, manufacture, installation, and maintenance. It is therefore critical for specifiers to understand the differences in legislative requirements between an internal and external doorset so that they are included in any specification.”

What are the differences between an internal and external fire doorset?

Mark Alton Head of Product Management at Winkhaus UK advises: An external doorset as defined in EN14351-1 is “a doorset which separates the internal climate from the external climate of a construction, for which the main intended use is the passage of pedestrians”.

There are three main differences in legislation between an internal and external fire doorset:

1. Testing for external fire doorsets must be carried out to the European standard EN1634 for Fire resistance and for Smoke control.

2. Under the Construction Products Directive (CPD), all external fire resistant doorsets are covered by a designated standard and therefore must be conformity marked CE or UKCA. They are also subject to the Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) system 1 requirements, which effectively means that the AVCP must be completed by a 3rd party to deliver a 3rd Party UKCA certified solution.

3. External fire doorsets require a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and a 3rd Party classification as specified under EN13501-2
In addition, weather protection testing is only completed for external fire doorsets.

3rd Party certification and verification is not only in place to ensure solutions are fit to be brought to market, but that they are continually manufactured, installed, and maintained to the same levels as identified in the original testing and declaration of performance.

Design & Test is not only the first activity needed to create a range of fire doorset solutions, but the golden thread that is referenced throughout the lifecycle of a fire doorset.

Fire doorset manufacturers are 3rd party audited to ensure they continue to manufacture the same products with ongoing factory process audits, traceability through manufacturing and annual sample testing.

The table highlights the requirements to be included in both internal and external fire door specifications and should be used as a checklist when reviewing tenders for new fire doorsets to ensure all the required points are covered in any proposal.

The introduction of the external range of fire doorset solutions is in addition to the existing range of 3rd Party accredited timber and composite internal fire doorset solutions from Winkhaus.

Winkhaus recently further expanded this range introducing a wider scope of internal fire doorset door designs and glazing options for their manufacturing partners to take advantage of.

All Winkhaus internal and external, timber, and composite fire doorset solutions are MHCLG compliant, are tested to EN1634 for fire resistance and smoke control, are tested to PAS24 for enhanced security and are 3rd Party certified as part of the BM Trada Q-Mark certification scheme, offering a truly mirrored range.

Our new mirrored range of external timber and composite fire doorset solutions are also 3rd Party UKCA certified for fire resistance and smoke control, and 3rd Party certified for security to PAS24.

Over the past decade the Winkhaus UK Technical team have been involved in the creation and implementation of the latest standards and guidance for fire doorsets. Winkhaus fire doorsets solutions are manufactured through our partner network of over 63 3rd Party certified companies. With our partner fabricators, we have the one of the largest evidence banks of compliant solutions for both timber and composite fire doorsets, all independently audited by BM Trada as part of their Q Mark scheme.

This not only ensures our test evidence is always compliant, but always expanding to offer the most comprehensive range of options for all your project requirements.

For further information on the new ranges of external timber and composite fire doorset solutions or our expanded ranges of internal timber and composite fire doorset solutions , or for advice and support with your specifications, click here
or contact marketing@winkhaus.co.uk.