How to find the right letter plate for FD30 fire door
Product & Buying Guide:
Intumescent Letter Plates (for FD30 Fire Doors)
(Terms)
What is an 'Intumescent Letter Plate'?
The term 'intumescent letter plate' is an industry term which describes the material and rating requirements for a letterbox which is fitted to a fire door in the UK.
Is a 'Letter Plate' just another name for a Letterbox?
Yes. The term 'letter plate' is an industry term which describes the product used as a letterbox in a front door.
Why is it called an 'intumescent' letter plate?
'Intumescent' describes the fire rated material used in fire door specific letter plates that expands when I fire is present and effectively crushes closed the gap in the door (through which your post is delivered but is a dangerous air supply gap when a fire is present).
(Fire Safety)
What happens if I don't fit a fire rated letter plate to my fire door?
A fire rated letter plate has been tested and designed to remain in place (in the event of a fire) and seal the door so that the fire does not spread (into a corridor etc..).
A regular door letterbox will not have any fire stopping qualities and could simply be set alight and then (due to the forces produced by the fire) be ejected out of the door and then set light to the outside of the door and/or the corridor.
(Specifications)
What size intumescent letter plate do i need for a FD30 fire door?
The size required normally depends on either the existing gap in the door or (in a new door) the specifications detailed in the fire inspection or certification of the door itself.
For example, Fire Essentials offers the two most popular sizes of letter plate the smaller 270mm (10") version and the larger 360mm (12") version.
How do I measure for the right size of fire door letter plate?
You will need to review the 'router' measurements so that you can see what size gap the letter plate will fit and also assess whether you need to amend the existing gap in your door in order to fit the letter plate.
How do I know the fire rating of the letter plate?
When buying any fire door related products online you should always check the fire certificate, fire test evidence etc before you buy.
The best idea is to download the correct fire documents from the supplier and then show them to the person who is responsible for specifying the requirements of your door.
(Notes)
Things to remember:
A responsible supplier will ALWAYS be happy to provide fire documents and also advise on product selection and buying guidance, this should include referrals to the manufacturer or fire test provider.
Always check that a product is suitable (with the person responsible for the specification of the door) BEFORE you purchase any products. While this seems time consuming and unnessary, replacing an incorrect product or (worse case scenario) having a door fail in the event of a fire because you fitted the wrong product, can be far more costly.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about letter plates or any other product (including intumescent) used in fire doors in the UK please contact a member of our team in Dorset.
Email: info@fireessentials.co.uk (response within 1 hour*)
Phone: 01305 457703 (response within 24 hours*)
*Due to the technical nature of many of the enquiries, we would recommend sending us an email as we can make sure your enquiry is forwarded to the correct technical team member and speed up the response times.