Distinction Doors announces UKCA Mark for fds External Fire Doorset

Typical applications include an external access walkway when used as an escape route for flats, or when an external entrance door is positioned close to another building or entrance.

To legally supply fire doorsets for external use the doors must be UKCA marked with a Declaration of Performance (DoP) that references both BS EN 14351-1, the external pedestrian doorset standard and BS EN 16034, the standard for fire resisting and/or smoke control pedestrian doorsets.

For optimum suitability, the fds system is designed with optional drainage caps, also known as weep hole covers.  These are used to cover the slot at the bottom of the door made for face drainage. They ensure that the weather performance of the door is not compromised when used externally.

The drainage cap solution has been tested against three British and European standards. It meets the requirements of BS EN 6375 for weather tightness. It is tested against EN 1634-1 to ensure that the system’s fire resistance is not compromised, and EN 1634-3 to ensure. e drainage system is not a weak point for smoke control.

The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark is the new product marking scheme which is required for certain products being sold in Great Britain and covers most products that previously required the CE mark. It will be mandatory from 1st January 2025.

Currently, internal fire doorsets are exempt from UKCA marking but this may change following the publication of the Independent Review of the Construction Product Testing Regime.

The fds range offers 10 door styles including solid or glazed options. They are available in five colours as standard, with any RAL option.

The system is triple Q-marked for fire resistance, smoke control, and enhanced security. It achieves an average of 45 minutes integrity when subject to fire testing.

The fire doors are available in the UK and Ireland through a network of official fds doorset manufacturing partners. Each fabricator meets the non-mandatory requirements of Q-Mark STD 170.

To find out more about the fds composite fire door system and approved partner network please visit www.firedoorsystems.co.uk.

Alfie Hosker, Secured by Design, said: “fds enable a number of our SBD doorset member manufacturers to fabricate the complete doorset using their System Suppliers Specification. This enables such fabricators to be certified in their own right under the BM TRADA Q-Mark certification scheme and therefore will have a Q-Mark scope document created in their own name for the specific door that they wish to place on the market for example. This enables such doors to be fabricated with Enhanced Security, Fire and Smoke performance on a single scope of 3rd party certification, which can ensure that such applications are even more safe and secure, reducing the potential of misinterpretation where data about the performance of a door is across a number of scopes”.

About fds

fds (fire door systems) is a product range of Distinction Doors, the largest supplier of glass reinforced polyester (GRP) composite door blanks in the UK. 

The fds FD30 composite doorset range is a complete fire door system, meeting the requirements of Approved Document B and underpinned by a third-party certification scheme, to regulate control and deliver product consistency.

The fds range is available nationwide through a network of official, third-party approved doorset manufacturing partners.

You can find out more about fds and their Neuma FDS FD30 Composite Doorset System range here.