Fire doors are essential pieces of residential and/or commercial safety infrastructure. They allow for safe and instant egress in the event of a fire, and can also slow down the spread of the fire, mitigating potential damage. However, like all equipment, fire doors can degrade over time and will eventually need to be maintained, upgraded, or replaced. Here’s some maintenance tips from the commercial security experts at Nonstop Locksmith that allow you to make the most over your fire door.
Don’t Paint Over the Entire Door
Make sure not to paint over the entire door – especially the door’s curtains, fusible links, and the guides. These parts of the door have to be left alone for the door to work properly. When painted, the door will fall out of compliance with fire codes. If you’re not certain whether the fire door should be painted, just avoid it entirely in order to be safe.
Don’t Try Repairing the Fire Door Yourself
Doors always experience functional issues over time – it’s normal. However, in situations when the door isn’t working properly due to a power failure or mechanical issues, don’t try to repair it yourself. Amateur repair attempts can severely damage the door even further, not to mention causing the door to drop from adherence to proper compliance codes. When fire doors are experiencing issues, make sure to contact a professional door repair company to run maintenance diagnostic tests, and provide all necessary repairs. This allows you to ensure that the door will work properly in a potential emergency, and help you avoid the legal stresses that come with operating a fire door that’s not up to code. It’s always a smart idea to be cautious around a malfunctioning fire door, and when it is working properly, only use it for the purpose that it’s intended for.
Run a Yearly Diagnostic
It’s definitely essential to run a yearly diagnostic test on fire doors to ensure their long term longevity. Make sure to hire a fire door maintenance professional who understands the in’s and out’s of fire doors, and can quickly spot a maintenance issue that can quickly snowball and cause issues. This allows you to make sure that any potential issues are caught while you are ahead, eliminating the eventual cost of repairing even more serious issues. Furthermore, periodic maintenance sessions can ensure that your fire doors are remaining up to the fire code of your local city and/or county legal ordinances. A true professional fire door repair expert will understand the local legal ordinances, eliminating your need to contact external contractors and consolidating the costs of ensuring door fire code compliance.