Fire Shutters Brisbane

Our 4 hour fire protection rating is the highest possible rating for fire doors in Australia, and all our fire doors are manufactured and installed in accordance with Australian Building Regulations and Fire Safety Standards. Our expert team are specially trained in installing and repairing fire resistant shutters, so if you want to add another level of protection to your building or workplace and secure your belongings in the unfortunate event of a fire, our fire doors Brisbane are the way to do it.

While they look and operate in much the same way as standard aluminium or steel roller shutters, fire doors are in fact much heavier, sturdier, and require more fixings. For optimum performance, it is necessary that the building structure supporting the roller shutters is also fire resistant, with a resistance equal to or greater than the roller shutter itself as it needs to be able to support the roller door shutter during a fire.

They can be installed to masonry openings of reinforced concrete or dense concrete blocks, steel openings, or timber- or steel-framed partitions. If you are unsure about your building structure, contact us to discuss your concerns and we can provide you with some guidance.

Fire Resistance Levels (FRLs) are specified in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Standard as an indication of the fire resisting performance of an element of construction. It takes into consideration the structural adequacy, integrity and insulation of the element of construction (in this case, the fire doors). You can find more information about these factors at the NSW Rural Fire Service’s Fire Resistance Levels fact sheet.

The Passive Fire Protection Alliance (PFPA) defines fire doors as a complete assembly that are identical in construction and installation with one that has been submitted to the fire resistance test and has passed all the relevant test requirements to achieve the required fire resistance level. It should typically comprise of:

• A curtain
• Vertical guides which the curtains can slide between when being raised or lowered, together with associated fittings
• A horizontal barrel mounted above the opening, which the curtain rolls on when being raised or lowered, together with associated fittings
• A fusible link to provide for automatic operation
• A governing device to control the speed of the curtain’s descent immediately after putting it into action

For further information about fire doors and their legal requirements, the PFPA have released a Fire Resistant Doors and Shutters information booklet outlining everything you need to know.

Our fire doors Brisbane are all manufactured and installed in compliance with the Building Code of Australia, which you can find on The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) website. They are put through rigorous safety testing to ensure they meet the necessary requirements, to guarantee you peace of mind that your fire resistant shutter is well up to standard. Specification C3.4 Fire Doors, Smoke Doors, Fire Windows and Shutters states that a required fire shutter must be one that:

• is identical with a tested prototype that has achieved the required FRL; and
• is installed in the same manner and in an opening that is not larger than the tested prototype; and
• did not have a rise in average temperature on the side remote from the furnace of more than 140 K during the first 30 minutes of the test.

The most important thing to remember is to always have a clear, comprehensive fire safety plan in place. While fire doors will certainly be of great benefit to you and your building in the unfortunate event of a fire, it is also necessary to be aware of your fire escape routes and evacuation plans. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have a range of helpful brochures and information booklets to help you plan or understand your building’s fire safety plan if you need assistance. You should make sure that you are always aware of your closest fire exits and the evacuation procedures in the case of a fire, and know how to safely escape heat and smoke-filled rooms.

There is not currently any legal Australian Standard for maintenance of fire resistant roller shutters, like there is with fire doors. But this does not mean that they should not be maintained, as they are just as important for fire safety and keeping them well maintained will ensure they are always working in their best condition.

Other than generally keeping them clean to avoid dust or dirt building up in any of the moving parts, it is a good idea to keep an eye on all the various working parts so that you can spot if anything is out of order and needs repair. If you do notice something, it is best to have it looked at by a professional as soon as possible to prevent a small problem from becoming bigger and potentially becoming more difficult or more expensive to fix. We offer a preventative maintenance and repair service as well as installation, so just get in touch with us to organise a visit.

It is recommended that you regularly inspect the following areas of your fire doors Brisbane and make sure that:

• there are no open holes or breaks in the surfaces of the door or frame
• the door, frame, hinges, hardware and non-combustible threshold are aligned, secured and working, with no visible damage
• there are no missing or broken parts
• the door clearances at the door edge of the frame on the pull side of the door do not exceed 3mm, or 19mm undercut
• the self-closing device works and that the door completely closes from the full open position
• the latching hardware operates and secures the door when it is in the closed position
• the door or frame has no auxiliary hardware items that restrict or prohibit operation

It is also highly important that you don’t let the fire doors get blocked by objects either inside or outside. In the event of a fire, fire and smoke will spread if the door is blocked so you must ensure that the door openings and surrounding areas are always kept clear of anything that could hinder or interfere with the door’s operation. You should also never wedge the door open, as this could cause severe damage to the door and could be potentially dangerous if the wedge comes loose. And don’t attempt to paint or put glue on the door or its parts, because if paint or glue accumulates it can prevent the door from moving when movement is required.