FaQ

In order for a doorset to be fire rated/certified, the relevant intumescent must be used within the doorset. Generally, the intumescent can be found within the frames and in the meeting styles of pairs of doors. Occasionally it is requested that Intumescent is used in the door leaf, not the frame. This is often due to LRV requirements or on a refurbishment scheme where the frames are being kept and only doors are being replaced.
Acoustic tests are only conducted when the relevant acoustic seals and drop seals are included as part of the doorset. Without a drop seal, there would be a permanent air gap at the foot of the door where sound can travel through.
Bridgman IBC’s standard acoustic range is from the following; 30db 32db 35db 41db The higher the acoustic rating the more complex the specification with regards to the makeup of the doorset and glazing (if applicable).
The British Woodworking Foundation have labelled FD20 doorsets are no longer existing. See below extract from; http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/   “The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) is another major organisation that provides fire door ratings. BWF fire ratings for fire door assemblies are stated in minutes and prefixed by the letters ‘FD’: e.g. FD30 refers to a 30-minute fire door or fire doorset; in other words, one that offers at least 30 minutes of protection against fires.   The most commonly specified integrity levels are:
  • FD30 – 30 minutes
  • FD60 – 60 minutes
  • FD90 – 90 minutes
  • FD120 – 120 minutes
  As part of the steps being taken by the BWF to simplify fire door identification and eliminate confusion in specification, the existing FD20 rating is no longer available.”
A doorset is defined in BSEN12519 as a; 'complete unit consisting of a door frame and a door leaf or leaves, supplied with all essential parts from a single source' Essential parts would consist of the following; Frame, Door, Glazing, Associated Screens, Bision Panels, Hinges (Swinging Device) – Test Evidence to suit.
When a doorset is pre-hung within manufacture this simply means that the door has been tested and hung within its frame that will be delivered to site. This allows for the manufacturer to ensure the frame to door tolerance is correct and that the door will swing on site should the frame be fitted squarely. If a doorset is not pre-hung within the manufacture period and the frames and doors are sent seperatley, the onus is on the site joiners to make sure the door swings correctly.
Grade 13 Hinges include for;   Performance  
  • Tested and approved to BSEN1935:2002 Grade 14 (160Kgs)
  • CE Marked and CERTIFIRE approved
  • Suitable for use on Fire Doors (FD30 & FD60)
  • Suitable for use with Backcheck Door Closers
  • Suitable for Internal & External applications
  This information is taken from the cook brothers hinge 7735.
A veneer is a thin layer of timber that is pressed to the door and finished with a lacquer. Veneers are normally between 0.2mm and 0.5mm thick dependant on the timber species and cut of veneer.   There are different cuts of veneer, which produce different patterns of veneer dependant on the timber species.  
  • Crown Cut (most common)
  • Rotary Cut
  • Quarter Cut
  • Rift Cut
  A laminate, generally a High Pressure or Standard Grade laminate (or HPL or HGS for short) is manufactured through fusing multiple layers of impregnated paper under high pressure and temperature to create a hard wearing, durable and hygienic surfacing material.   Laminate generally is 0.7mm thick.   There are multiple different manufacturers of laminates throughout the world. Laminated are made specifically for doors, with the relevant sizes put into manufacturer for this purposes. There are multiple colours and patterns of laminate available, including woodgrain patterns.
An encapsulated or postformed doorset is a door, pre-hung in a frame within the manufacture that is finished and encapsulated in 2mm PVC. Due to the high durability of the 2mm PVC, this specification of doorset is often used in wet areas such as swimming pool. They’re also often used in hospitals, where doorsets are often in high traffic areas and need to be of the most hygienic product possible and easy to clean. PVC comes in various colours for multiple manufacturer’s. It comes in either a smooth or textured finish.
There is a postform grade laminate available, however, due to the smoothness of the laminate and also the 0.7mm thickness, it’s easily damaged. It is recommended that 2mm textured PVC is used for encapsulated/postformed doorsets.
The industry standard frame to door tolerance is 3mm. 6mm total for single doors 9mm total for pairs of doors (incl. meeting style).
The industry standard wall to frame tolerance is 7mm all round. (14mm width). However, this can obviously be reduced dependant on how confident the contractor is with the openings.
As there are three variations of frame sections, there are different minimum standards but ultimately the section between the door and wall must be no less than 32mm. PSE Section with a loose stop; 32mm Solid rebated section with a 12mm rebate; 44mm Wrap around frame section, with integral architrave; 44mm.
manufacture process, the manufacturer recess’ the doors and frame ready for ironmongery to be fitted on site. This often includes for; Lockcases Flush Bolts Keeps Wireways Emergency Release Stops Hinges are often already preparated for if the company is manufacturing a ‘doorset’.
GDC stands for ‘Graduated Density Chipboard’ – Certain doors are manufactured using GDC cores.
Whomever is providing the frames would need to check with the door manufacturer with regards to the acceptable frame construction needed to apply specifically for the door cores used. It is highly recommended that doorsets are provided though, to ensure that the certification is correct and valid.
An NBS L20 specification is a part of the ‘National Building Specification’ created for doorsets. L20 is the doorset element of the building’s specification. An NBS is created during the buildings design.
Bolection bead, or ‘hockey stick bead’ is a type of glazing bead detail that holds the glazing in place. It can be pinned or screw fixed into the door. It’s is that of a hockey stick and it protrudes from the door face. Quirk or Flush bead is more of a square section glazing bead which again holds the glazing in place. It does not protrude from the door, instead fitting flush to the face of the door. It often has a small rebate or quirk effect within the design. It can be pinned or screw fixed.
There are generally 9 different configurations of lipping to a doorset. L4E – Lipped 4 Edges, exposed. L3E Top – Lipped 3 edges, two long and the top, exposed L3E Bottom – Lipped 3 edges, two long and the bottom, exposed. L2E – Lipped two long edges, exposed. L4C – Lipped 4 edges, concealed. L3C Top – Lipped 3 edges, two long and the top, concealed. L3C Bottom – Lipped 3 edges, two long and the bottom, concealed. L2C – Lipped two long edges, concealed. Rebated – Generally 18mm thick, rebated so that meeting styles join to cover the gap. Lipping’s must be manufactured in hardwood and are provided a minimum of 6mm and generally a maximum of 18mm. Different manufactures either conceal or expose their lipping’s as standard and to change to one or the other can vary the price + or – dependant on which their standard is.
No, doorset fire certification shows different glazing options available within the certification. There are multiple different glazing options available within individual certifications. Please speak to the manufacturer to make sure that the preferred glazing option is available, or what options there are?
Our solid laminated timber core range is constructed with timber lamels that are cross laminated. The solid timber throughout allows the use of heavy duty ironmongery like pivot hinges or sliding track systems, multipoint locking systems without compromising the integrity of the door or risking breakout through the core. Bridgman IBC utilise the Solid Laminated Timber Core generally for high acoustic requirements or in market sectors such as mental health or health. Our external solid laminated core doors are supplied with external plywood facing which is suitable for various finishes. Bridgman IBC can only offer a primed finish to our external range.
The Bridgman IBC stile and rail core is made up of flax board (450 flax to a FD60 door and 350 flax to an FD30/NFR door) with and internal 65mm softwood rail and stile for ironmongery provision. Generally seen as a step down from the solid laminate timber core option, this core is excellent for ironmongery provision and highly recommended in the education, health, leisure and commercial sectors. Please note that the FD60 top stile would be made up from 65mm hardwood, not softwood.
he maximum sized vision panel you can put into a door would vary based on the test evidence for the core utilised. The best thing to do would be to speak to a Bridgman IBC representative with regards to your needs.
Safehinge is a unique finger protection system that is factory assembled along with the doorset. With its unrivalled reputation for safety, Safehinge Alumax offers the ultimate in finger protection for all kinds of facilities, specifically education. Plus Safe hinges Alumax's durable construction and supreme quality means it's built to last. So unlike plastic guards, it won't crack, tear or shatter — providing you with significant cost savings that are just as attractive as the sleek aesthetics.
Unfortunately, due to the pivot design of the Safehinge, acoustic certification is limited with the use of Safehinge. Single Doorsets can only achieve 35dB and there is NO acoustic test evidence for pairs of doors with Safehinge.
Bridgman IBC supply to virtually all of the construction market sectors apart from low spec residential such as social housing; Education Health Mental Health Sport and Leisure Commercial Offices Hotels High Spec residential MOD Care Homes NHS Care Homes Student Accommodation Public Buildings Religious Buildings Emergency Services Buildings (Blue Light) Retail And many more..
doorsets now have the added value of Hygienilac bacterial protection.   It works by;
  1. It prevents the bacteria's access to nutrients so they starve and die
  2. It has a kill rate of 99.9 per cent over a 24 hr. period
  3. It will remain effective for years because of its inherently low water solubility
  4. Because of Hygienilac's inherent properties the doorset’s can be effectively cleaned without loss of performance.
If you would like to apply for a credit with Bridgman IBC, simply call (01429 221111) or email us (sales@bridgman-ibc.com) and ask for a credit application form.   You’ll need to know how much credit you’d like to apply for on the form. Bridgman IBC will then apply to our banks and let you know ASAP what credit you’ve been approved.
Bridgman IBC have done extensive research into metal being fixed to a door in a fire rated situation. Bridgman IBC can only certify a fire rated doorset if there is no more than 30% of the door face is covered by metal in a face fixed situation. Should the metal need to be ‘screw’ fixed to the face, this reduces the percentage of the door face to 20%. If the metal protection needs to ‘bend’ around the lipping/edge of the door, then this would invalidate the certification.
Bridgman IBC pre-hang all their doorsets. Single doorsets are delivered pre-hung within the frame, stacked on a pallet up to 8 doorsets high and then wrapped in a protective plastic. Pairs of doorsets are pre-hung, a photo taken and then separated for delivery. All doors are stacked with packing pieces to protection the door faces. All architrave and stops are delivered in long lengths for on-site fitting.
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