Choosing the right door for your home can be daunting. After all, the main door is your first line of defence against unwanted intruders, and the first thing people see when they visit you.
The right door not only keeps your home safe, but it can also be part of your interior design, even increasing the value of your property by aesthetics alone.
Whether you live in a HDB or condo in Singapore, we often get homeowners looking for a stylish, solid wooden doors that are built to last. They also look for fire-rated doors to comply with regulations, as well as for the added safety and peace of mind. If you are unsure of which to choose, this article is for you!
What Is A Fire-Rated Door?
A fire-rated door is a door that has been tested and certified to have a certain amount of resistance to fire. This means that a fire-rated door will help slow the spread of fire into your home, which could give you and your family more time to evacuate.
Although fire-rated doors don’t help prevent or completely stop the fires, their ability to delay the spread of flames into your home can make all the difference in the safety of you and your family.
Doors are rated in minutes, indicating the number of minutes a door can hold up to temperatures of up to 1050 degrees Celcius.
What Is The Difference Between A Fire-Rated Door And A Wooden Door?
Fire-rated doors are designed to slow the spread of flames. They are often installed on HDB or condo main doors to protect the property from external fires, potentially giving the inhabitants more time to evacuate, or to buy time for the firefighters.
Non-fire-rated doors do not offer any protection in case of a fire. If a wooden door catches on fire, it can be quickly consumed, allowing flames to spread to the rest of the home.
Key Factors To Consider
Whether you a wooden or fire-rated door is best suited for your property depends on a few factors.
1. Types Of Premises
While designing a building, fire safety measures are critical. Fire-rated doors are often used in commercial buildings to protect the building from damage, prevent a fire from destroying the entire building, and buy more time for the occupants to evacuate. These doors make it easier for firefighters to enter the building, locate the source of the fire and do their job. Most commercial buildings have to have fire-rated doors to adhere to safety regulations imposed by the developer.
In contrast, for residential properties, using fire-rated main and bedroom doors is not a must but it will result in significantly less smoke and fire damage in an event of an outbreak. However, HDB and condo doors don’t necessarily have to be fire-rated.
2. Regulations
According to HDB regulations, you’ll only need a fire-rated door if your main door is along the fire escape route, within 3 metres from the nearest lift or staircase or if your flat came with an existing fire-rated door and you are seeking to replace it.
Aside from a few special circumstances, you have the freedom to choose a non-fire-rated wooden door for your home, should you wish to.
3. Cost
While fire-rated doors are priced above non-rated doors, cost of course, depends on the size, design, and other materials. Non-rated doors can cost between $500 and $1,500, while fire-rated doors can cost between $800 and $1,800.
While the cost of the doors can depend heavily on design and style, the rating of the door matters as well. Doors can have ratings of 20 minutes to 180 minutes at different increments, indicating how long the door will hold up to high temperatures.
Choose The Right Door With An Digital Lock
Enjoy the aesthetics of a sleek, wooden door yet the safety and peace of mind with a fire-rated one. Many of An Digital Lock’s doors do both. Browse our range of doors and have the best of both worlds!
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