A key aspect of commercial building design is fire prevention and safety, and one essential aspect of fire safety is the use of fire doors. The purpose of these doors is to seal off parts of the building from one another in the event of a fire, which prevents the flames from spreading and thus helps to mitigate property damage, injuries, and loss of life. If your business uses overhead fire doors, you will need to schedule a fire door drop test at least once a year to make sure the doors are functioning properly. Our team at Overhead Door Company of Charleston has extensive experience with this kind of testing, and we have answered some questions to explain more about what it is and what to expect from it.
- What is a fire door drop test? – As the name suggests, a fire door drop test is a safety check in which overhead fire doors are activated to see how fast they close. This testing is necessary to ensure the doors can shut quickly enough in the event of a fire to effectively cut off flames and smoke.
- How does a fire door drop test work? – A fire door drop test is usually conducted as part of a more thorough inspection of your fire door system. Our technicians will examine the condition of the door itself and inspect the opening mechanism before running the drop test. We’ll use all the data we gather to make recommendations about what steps, if any, to take to improve your building’s fire safety.