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Fire-Rated Doors 101: Learn More about Commercial FRP Fire Doors

Posted on by Editorial Team

If you love one or all of our Special-Lite fiberglass doors, did you know we have a harmonizing fire-rated model available too?

Special-Lite is the manufacturing leader for fiberglass doors. In 35+ years, we migrated from the first and best fiberglass school door into many markets and industries – all having unique door needs. One of those needs is a fire-rated fiberglass door to match our door products to use in rated entrance locations. We solved this need by engineering and challenging our expert craftspeople to manufacture fire-rated fiberglass doors and frames. They are perfect for new construction or retrofit projects.

We offer two fire-rated fiberglass door types: FRP/Stainless Steel & Fiberglass.

What? Both construction types use FRP face sheets, but the construction method and design differ. It is important that you understand the unique construction methods so you can select the type best suited to your location.

FRP/Stainless Steel Fire-Rated Door

Special-Lite builds FRP/Stainless Steel fire-rated doors using a fire-resistant mineral core in fire ratings from 20 to 90 minutes. We chemically bond FRP face sheets to this mineral core. We screw-apply the stainless edges, then weld and buff the corners. Stainless steel vision lite kits are also an available option!

Our fiberglass fire doors are hand-measured throughout the process to ensure we meet specifications. Custom-built punches used by skilled craftspeople deliver precision edge preps on the stainless steel edge pieces. These punches prep for hardware such as mortise locks, strikes, and flush bolts.

Below is a graphic representation of the construction of the FRP/Stainless Steel fire-rated door. Fire-rated cores are ordered to fit specifications and are reinforced on the top, bottom, and hardware areas. The stainless steel door edge is durable and protects the door edge from damage involving gym bags, suitcases, hospital beds, and equipment.

Fiberglass Fire-Rated Door

Our other fiberglass fire-rated door construction does not utilize stainless steel door edges. We construct these doors with a fire-rated mineral core featuring edge blocking for superior screw hold performance. We again chemically bond FRP face sheets to the mineral cores. You can order these fiberglass fire-rated doors in many size variations, with fire ratings from 20 to 90 minutes.

When you combine this pultruded fiberglass fire-rated framing with our fiberglass fire-rated door, you will enjoy a beautiful, complete, and cohesive entry system!

The Fiberglass Fire-Rated Door and the FRP/Stainless Steel Fire-Rated Door construction use our .120” thick fiberglass face sheets, giving our customers many options.

  1. Rustic Wood Grain Face Sheet
    We are very excited to offer you a faux wood grain fire-rated door, the Fire-Rated SL-19FR! A wood grain look presents many design opportunities for a warm and home-like feel without sacrificing the durability of FRP.  This door is perfect for hospitals, long-term care facilities, retirement residences, hotels, educational housing, places of worship, and traditional education buildings. If your design team has chosen to use our SL-19 flush or SL-18 colonial doors, the SL-19FR is the fire door for you! Below is a photo featuring a hotel with this door!
  2. Pebble Grain SpecLite 3® FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Polyester) Face Sheet
    Our most popular FRP face sheet is used on both the SL-17FR and the AF-217FR fire doors. The pebble grain FRP face sheet, our proprietary SpecLite 3®, unlike competitors’ pebble grain FRP sheets, has a surfaseal coating. This coating provides scratch and graffiti resistance, as well as making doors incredibly easy to clean. This face sheet is available in 12 standard thru-color options. This option is the perfect choice for any location experiencing hard use or abuse. Also, this is the same face sheet used on the SL-17 and the AF-217 non-fire-rated doors, so our customers may coordinate as required.
  3. Sandstone Textured FRP Face Sheet
    You’ll find the sandstone texture FRP face sheet on both the SL-20FR and the AF-220FR fire doors. The sandstone textured FRP face sheet provides a smoother look than the pebble grain for applications such as schools, childcare centers, hospitals, and industrial buildings. This face sheet is available in all nine standard thru-color options. Also, this is the same face sheet used on the SL-20 and AF-220 door non-fire-rated doors so our customers may coordinate as desired.
  4. Smooth FRP Face Sheet
    We use our smooth FRP face sheet on only one of our fire-rated doors – the AF-200FR. This option provides a beautiful, sleek, modern, and easily cleanable surface. Hermetically sealed with no cracks or crevices, these fire doors are impervious to moisture, chemicals, and bacteria. We have a variety of color selections and the option to use custom colors. All finishes are industrial Satin, two-component flexible acrylic urethane coating, which meets USDA qualifications for incidental food contact. These fire-rated doors are perfect for food prep areas, schools, fitness centers, and pharmaceutical applications. We also think you could get creative with the modern look and color selection and use this durable door for various industries or buildings. Satin black in an upscale hotel, anyone? This smooth fiberglass fire-rated door works seamlessly with the AF-100 and AF-200!

Our fire-rated doors are compatible with a wide variety of hardware. Particularly relevant is the ability to have surface vertical rods and fewer bottom rods on our FRP/Stainless Steel models, which is preferable by hospitals. Please refer to the configuration worksheets for AF-FR Series doors and SL-FR Series doors for hardware and glazing options.

Complete Fire-Rated Entrance (Door & Frame)

Complete your fiberglass fire-rated entrance with a pultruded fiberglass frame that cannot rust or corrode! If you cannot replace the existing fire-rated frames, ask about Special-Lite’s insert frame and capping system for your retrofit project.

Confused?

Don’t be. Let us help you select the perfect door and frame for your fire-rated location. Contact your local Rep today!

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