Doors

Leading PVCu and aluminium window and door supplier to the social housing sector, Nova Group, has invested in new technology and supply chain partnerships to offer customers even greater product quality and performance.
The Altrincham based company, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, provides a wide range of PVCu and aluminium solutions to social housing providers, the commercial sector and retail customers, including conservatories and secondary window systems. As a provider of both frames and sealed units, Nova Group has full control over supply which means it can apply strict quality control and put continuous improvement at the heart of its strategy.

The internet is awash with manufacturers, installers and ‘experts’ citing different test standards and accreditations.  Scott Francis, Technical Manager at Bowater Doors unpicks this information and explains what you should look for when choosing a composite fire door.

Look for the latest standard - BS EN 1634
BS EN 1634 is the latest standard for fire resistance and smoke control and is accepted in Approved Document B, the fire safety element of the Building Regulations in England.
It’s a far more demanding test in comparison to the old BS 476 standard. This is particularly in reference to the requirement to expose both sides of the door to the fire combined with the increased level of pressure and heat in the furnace.  We made the decision to test our doors to the limits with regards to safety and security to ensure we are offering the best composite fire door on the market.

Orbit Housing’s Fordham House in Stratford-upon-Avon aims to raise the bar for rented accommodation. Although initially a social housing provider, Orbit now refers to itself as a “developing housing association”, and Fordham House was designed for private rental by key workers in the town.

If you were selecting a car for security reasons, would you be looking for one that just had 4 wheels, an engine and a door you could lock? No, of course not! You would rightly be interested in its overall performance, verified roadworthy tests, the quality of its components, not to mention other safety features and naturally its appearance and stylish kerb appeal.   
Selecting the right Secured By Design (SBD) Doorkit is not dissimilar. It’s not simply a case of meeting the minimum requirement, with a piece of paper that says SBD Tested, anything will do! After all there is so much more to consider in the modern build environment, from fire rating to life cycle expectations and installation to design flexibility.  Portaro SBD Interior timber Entrance Doorkits from Vicaima provides just that scope, with ease of assembly, quality materials, outstanding performance and design appeal as standard, all encased in one of the most comprehensively certificated products on the market.

Social housing providers are just one of a wide range of organisations that have warmed to the latest solution to letterbox security from Midlands-based Blockabox. Others taking up the options on the new solution include UK Fire and Rescue Services, Police Forces and wider landlord businesses keen on stopping residential and commercial properties from being targeted  by arson attacks, anti-social behaviour and nuisance and unsolicited mail dropping through doors of void properties and causing potential fire hazards.

Working with established manufacturer partner FUHR, Carl F Groupco has created a bespoke stainless-steel locking package for Senior Architectural Systems PURe® aluminium door range. Carl F Groupco’s hardware met the fenestration system company’s requirements for quality and innovation for its high-performance door profile, which features an expanded polyurethane thermal barrier for advanced thermal performance.

As Sidey, Scotland’s strongest fenestration company, was among the first UK companies to achieve the new fire door certification, Joint Managing Director Steve Hardy talks about the importance of accreditations and the fact that the company has now added glazed options to its existing range…
Sidey was one of the first companies to achieve the new accreditations and we are now in a position to further add to our existing FD30 Composite Fire Door collection by offering glazed options. Following independent factory product audits, our full range of composite fire doors have been fully certified under the BM Trada scheme STD 170 and tested to BS EN1634-1 for fire resistance, both internally and externally.