It is not uncommon for apartments and public buildings to have emergency doors for occupants in the case of an emergency situation. Some of the more commonly used are presently known as smoke doors which can also sometimes be called life safety doors and fire doors. Though each of these doors may be similar in nature, they have two distinct purposes. Both of which, however, are designed to create a seal that will keep away the fatal flames and smoke from those who are in these structures at that time.

Typically, while smoke doors have been designed to block out combustible items and smoke, the fire doors are meant to keep the flames away in a separate partition. In either case, due to the safety that these doors provide, they can be used in homes too. So, if you have an interest in how these doors may serve the same purposes for your family, you may want to talk to your local fire professional for their recommendations.

Having said that, here is some basic information that you should know.

First of all, it is important to start with the anatomy of both doors and their basic differences. For instance, the fire door has been designed to be enclosed within the buildings fire-rated walls. Its overall function is to keep the flames from spreading through doorways. Additionally, when people are thinking about the structure and the purpose of the fire door, they will most likely find that fire doors can always double as a smoke door but not vice versa. Simply put, when people are reviewing the distinctions between the fire door and the smoke door, it is important to note that smoke doors do not always have the same capability and features of the fire door. This is because smoke doors have not been designed to prevent the spread of flames from room to room.

Identifying the Different Characteristics Of Each

Fortunately, both doors are very easy to identify when people want to know the difference. This is because these doors must always be marked clearly for everyone to see. In addition to the signs on the doors, people can also learn the difference between each based on the materials that have been used by the manufacturer. For instance, you will be able to see the distinctions by the wood, aluminum and the steel in a smoke door. Everyone should also know in advance that fire doors are composed of materials that resist burning so they can resist the flames for an extended period of time.

Protection Features

When people are in a building with a fire, it is important that people know that the fire doors that they see in the building is designed to keep the flames compartmentalized for at least the time frame of 30 to 120 minutes. One of the main functions of the fire door is to protect people from the fires harmful effects. The type of doors used can also make a difference in protection since these doors are not usually automated but are made to remain shut doing these times.

For people who may not know the primary reason for a smoke door, it is important that you know that these doors are made with specialty seals.  Spartan Doors smoke doors use quality door seals from Kilargo.  These seals are made to protect individuals by only activating when a smoke detector goes off.

Considerations

These doors are only built to last a certain amount of time. So, it is essential that problems in one or both of these doors be addressed immediately. In fact, it really does not matter if the damage is small and not severe since any issues at all must be reported and corrected. Finding the certifications on the doors is supposed to be made easy since there are serial numbers and dates that people will find on the edge of these doors. This information can be used for a varied of situations and circumstances, including asking questions of the manufacturer and the local fireman.

What Are Cyclones?

Large parts of the Australian coastline regularly receive powerful cyclones. This means that many Australians living in at-risk areas need substantial protection. One of the best ways to protect yourself from these frequent natural disasters is to invest in secure, rated cyclone doors.

Cyclones can come by many other names, sometimes called hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms. They are powerful systems of strong rotating winds spiraling around an area of low pressure. These winds are some of the most powerful in the world, with the highest ever recorded reaching 408 km/h (measured on Barrow Island, Australia, during Cyclone Olivia).

Cyclones can cause enormous damage to communities and the environment, which is why adequate protection is necessary in at-risk areas.

Cyclone regions are categorized into four areas, seen below:

A – Normal
B – Intermediate
C – Tropical Cyclones
D – Severe Tropical Cyclones

The western coast of West Australia is at the most risk for severe tropical cyclones, but large parts of the northern, eastern, and western coasts are exposed to intermediate and tropical storms. All in all, four states: West Australia, Northern Territories, New South Wales, and Queensland are at risk for some form of cyclone.

Our Cyclone Doors

Australian Law governs the minimum requirements of cyclone doors.

Our cyclone rated doors are multi-purpose doors ideal for external or internal use in the homes and industrial facilities of at-risk regions. They are manufactured to withstand Category 2 and 3 cyclonic wind categories, which rank among the severest in Australia, and are found predominantly in regions C and D in Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territories. Our cyclone rated doors are engineered and manufactured to exceed the requirements of AS1170.2 and can also be used in less severe regions A and B.

Cyclone doors play a critical role in keeping your business assets safe, and your homes secure. Businesses often use them for industrial buildings, switch rooms, transportable buildings, warehouses, and offices.

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Here at Spartan Doors, we provide the highest quality cyclone doors in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, Australia. Our doors are sure to keep you and your products safe in any circumstance.

Shipping containers can do many more jobs than simple storage. Nowadays with custom shipping containers, it seems that they can be used for nearly everything, from shops and bars to offices and homes.

Transforming these classic storage and cargo containers into creative new ideas has become very popular in recent years. They are in abundance, efficient in use of space and material and strong enough for nearly anything.

A big part of the appeal towards converting shipping containers is the relative easiness of the process. Most of the time its as simple as cutting out and installing windows and shipping container doors, plus a little reinforcement if necessary.

These are our top 4 uses for shipping containers.

Homes

Custom shipping containers make great homes. They provide a brilliant combination of low cost with high choice. If done right, you can fully customise and build a container house for the same price it would cost to buy a traditional ready-made house. These have become favourite choices for prospective holiday home owners.

Custom container homes have really come into their own from innovative new designs, lower costs and people wanting spacious interiors. Additionally, as more and more young men and women demand cheaper housing, container homes look ready to fill the gap.

Cafes and Bars

Custom shipping containers can be used as pop-up cafés and bars. They have become more widely used over recent years. Mainly due to cost savings, ease of transportation and the increased cost of rent on permanent commercial spaces. Shipping container cafés and bars make excellent pop-up locations, ideal for special events, festivals, and high foot traffic areas in busy cities. They can have a great casual atmosphere and when done well, can look amazing.

Classrooms

Schools and universities across the world are looking for cheap and effective ways to expand their capacity. Custom shipping containers make excellent classrooms that are spacious and safe choices for both temporary and permanent classrooms.

Offices

It’s fairly common to see shipping container offices on site in construction areas. They are practical, easy to transport and secure. However, some are starting to now use custom shipping containers as permanent office spaces. Again saving on cost and allowing for increased customisation that can make your office space more efficient for your business.

For every way of using custom shipping containers, including our four favourites above, you will need doors specially made for shipping containers. Regardless of the application, Spartan Doors can supply personnel access container doors that will suit any job.

To inquire about our container doors, contact us today by phone on 1300 784 852 or email at [email protected]