Chris Robinson , Mar 12, 2020 3:59:00 PM
Fire doors are vital pieces of safety equipment. They help prevent the spread of smoke and flames and protect escape routes giving people enough time to leave the building safely.
However, such vital pieces of equipment aren't necessarily always given the proper testing they require to ensure they perform in a worst-case scenario.
Limitations Of Third-Party Certification
In the UK it is a legal requirement for all fire doors to meet strict safety standards.
All fire door manufacturers must prove that their doors can resist the spread of flames for at least 30 minutes. These days, most manufacturers use third-party UKAS certified testing bodies to verify fire door performance.
However, third-party testing has its limitations.
Third-party testing only tests a small sample of doors, and is in no way a guarantee that the door will perform when needed. The quality of the manufacturing process is never inspected, so there is nothing to stop a manufacturer from creating a set of doors to pass the test and then save money manufacturing substandard doors.
At RW Joinery we are committed to maintaining building safety standards. We know how important fire doors are to the safety of occupants so we never compromise on quality.
That’s why we go one step further than standard third-party testing.
We have chosen our accreditation bodies correctly to reflect the requirements of the construction industry particularly in terms of safety, manufacture, installation and environmental.
We remain one of the only performance fire doorset businesses to offer manufacture, installation and repair or maintenance under the same accreditation body as all of our manufacturing and installation services have been certified as part of the Q-Mark scheme.
What is Q-Mark?
Q-Mark was established to help promote quality and best practice in the timber and construction industry.
The scheme carries out third-party testing to ensure new products meet performance specifications and regularly audits manufacturing processes to ensure products are manufactured to a consistently high standard.
Q-Mark is regarded as one of the most rigorous certification processes in the building and construction industry. It is a recognised and widely accepted standard which gives buyers the confidence they need when specifying vital safety equipment such as fire doors.
RW Joinery has achieved Q-Mark certification in the following disciplines:
Q-Mark For Fire Door Manufacture
Q-Mark fire door certification ensures that all our fire doors have been independently tested to ensure they meet strict fire performance parameters. It also ensures that our manufacturing processes have been audited to ensure the product is manufactured to a consistently high standard.
This gives buyers peace of mind that the product they install complies with the original specification. Q-Mark is also a mark of quality, so buyers can relax knowing their doors will perform consistently across their lifespan. This reduces maintenance costs and maximises service life.
Q-Mark For Fire Door Installation
RW Joinery has also achieved Q-Mark certification for our fire door installation services. This ensures that fire door resistance capabilities are not compromised by poor installation. Professional installation also maximises the product’s service life and reduces ongoing maintenance costs.
Using a Q-Mark certified installer also provides peace of mind that the contractor is suitably qualified to do the job. While supervising contractors and facilities managers benefit from knowing that the quality of all installation work is continually assessed by an independent body.
Quality Fire Doorset Manufacture & Installation
There are numerous benefits to accreditation, but in general, they demonstrate we take our responsibilities seriously, giving confidence to external regulators and customers in our standards and our ability to comply with regulations and laws.
Our accreditation is external recognition of our adherence to set standards, to perform and deliver, our processes, and our works correctly.
With specific reference to Performance Fire Doorsets our priority is to always provide seamless certification. As we do not believe it is right to manufacture under one scheme and install under another.
Get in touch with us today for more information about our range of Q-Mark certified fire doors and installation services.
