10 July 2015 marked a milestone for the fire door set industry as the standard for fire door sets EN 16034 entered the Official Journal of the European Union.

Distinction Doors, the UK’s largest composite door supplier, has been updating its customers on the changes.

Dave Walker, Distinction’s Technical Director, said, “The entry into the Official Journal means that CE marking of fire door sets is finally underway, which is great news and will give specifiers and consumers peace of mind that they’re purchasing a reliable product. CE marking can start from 1 December 2015 and there will be a three year transition period for manufacturers to achieve compliance.”

But Dave also sounds a note of caution about the new regulations. “CE marking for fire door sets is much more complex than standard pedestrian door sets and windows. There are different requirements for product manufacture auditing, sampling, single and double doors, glazing systems, hardware, side/over panels and more. To ensure that the requirements of the Standard are being fully met, we recommend that companies consult a notified body such as Exova Warrington or BM Trada Certification before embarking on any test programme.”

He adds, “Our own fire doors will meet the requirements of the new legislation when fitted as part of an approved doorset. But if Distinction Doors’ customers are in any doubt or would like guidance on the new legislation and what it means for them, I’d encourage them to contact us. We’ll be more than happy to help.”

Keeping customers up-to-date on changes to legislation is just a small part of Distinction Doors’ value-added package of support. Alongside a compelling product portfolio, it’s hardly surprising the company is as successful as it is.