An interesting point touched on in the Art of Design article is that whilst door control devices are essential for safety, they can be highly desirable for giving high-end doors that extra quality in feel and function. Hold-open devices on internal non-fire doors, anti-slamming closure, adjustable door opening angle check etc can really enhance the user experience.
Door closers might not be the first thought that comes to mind when designing up-market residential projects. Yet with new regulatory responsibilities on Principal Designers - and a growing appetite for additional safety across the market - the need to blend door closers into interior design is what many are facing. High risk buildings (HRB) and multi-occupancy dwellings now need self-closing devices on any door that opens into communal areas, and in most cases, apartment entrance doors must be fire-rated. However, at Rutland we believe that door closers improve every door; reducing physical risks such as finger trapping, providing a soft-close function whilst improving fire safety beyond the minimum for peace-of-mind. Any type of door, when closed, will restrict smoke spread to some extent, as demonstrated in the Fire Safety Research Institute's 'Close before you doze' educational video.We know the importance of longevity, ease of adjustment, aesthetics and robustness when it comes to door closers. Evidence has shown that fire safety has been compromised by residents removing closer devices because they look unsightly, or sometimes disconnecting the closer arm if the door is hard to open. Rutland have been at the forefront of door-closer development for many years and are committed to our vision of "life safety at every door". Rutland door closers are engineered to perform as designed for years and be easy to adjust.
Every Rutland door closer has been primary fire tested to BS EN 1634-2 (fire rating) and performance tested to BS EN 1154 (door closer performance), for use on approved type fire-doors. Further to that, Rutland closing devices have been tested again by many doorset manufacturers as a system component in their third-party audited, UKCAS-accredited certification schemes. The difficulty of finding certified, fully-compliant doorsets at the bespoke, designer end of the market is a challenge that many designers will recognise. With doors being equally furniture and part of the building’s fabric, bespoke design freedom can often feel at odds with today’s security and safety expectations and regs. Our aim is to provide door manufacturers and architects a complete range of fully-certified door closing devices to meet any design or installation challenge in a compliant, assured way. We work closely with many door manufacturers and their various certification schemes such as Warrington Fire, Bluesky, BM Trada, Q-mark scheme, and IFCC. Rutland also endorses and works closely with the non-UKCAS, Police initiative SBD (Secured by Design), as we believe it is only by working holistically on smoke, fire, and security that building safety will continue to improve.
Today’s designers are experimenting with two broad conceptual options when either the client (usually for function) or the regulations (Fire safety) require door closers. The two trends are either to use a body finish and design that compliments the scheme visually, or tuck it discreetly away by embedding it inside the door and frame. The latter means you feel the benefits, with little to detract from the main theme, whilst a closer like the TS.9205 is meant to be seen.
The TS.9205 Rutland door closer is available in 15 different metallic finishes, it can be installed on either the push side with parallel arm for minimalist designs pull side with or a traditional scissor action. It has power and operation adjustments for precise movement control of doors up to 130kg and 1100mm wide. Being third-party certified by IFCC and fire-rated to BS EN1634-1, the TS.9205 closer is popular with fire-door manufacturers, architects working on Doc M and BS 8300 contracts, as well as luxury home designers looking for the best in form and function.
Meanwhile, for a discreetly concealed door closer, look no further than the ITS.11204. This closer is hidden from view with the door closed and only has the connector bar and slide arm visible when in use. Again, this door closer is available in a range finishes; polished brass, antique brass, silver, satin nickel and polished nickel. It is BS EN 1634-1 Certifire approved for use on FD30 and FD60 fire doorsets. For instances where the only need is for door control (non-fire doors), a hold-open device can be supplied.
If you are a professional in the door market, please speak to us about RIBA-approved CPD courses on door-closers and fire door safety that we run, or ask us any specific questions you'd like answers to.
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