Doorsets in Education Environments

When it comes to doorsets in education facilities, there are two key priorities: safety and durability. However, there are also many other factors that should be considered when choosing doorsets for schools, colleges and universities. 

It can be confusing when faced with the endless variety of doorset options, especially when considering the regulations that must be followed. But with our experience and technical knowledge, Lloyd Worrall can provide outstanding ironmongery, doorset, access control and door automation products to assist you in delivering your school project.

So which is the right doorset for your educational facility? 

Durability 

With hundreds of students and staff members moving continuously through the building, doorsets must offer very high performance without compromising functionality or aesthetics. 

In high traffic areas like entrances and hallways, doors are likely to come up against physical abuse, truly putting their durability to the test. They may even be vandalised or have parts removed, so their ability to stand strong in such environments is key. 

At Lloyd Worrall, our range of fully certified Interspec performance fire doors are designed to meet and exceed the high-performance standards of education facilities. Whether it’s our laminate-faced timber or powder coated steel doorset, our solutions are built to last. 

Fire safety 

In environments that accommodate hundreds of people, fire safety is a top priority. Furthermore, schools have a responsibility under the Regulatory Reform; Fire Safety Order (FSO) 2005 to make sure that everyone in the building is kept safe. 

Fire doors in school facilities are used as everyday doors (just as any other door), but they serve a much more important purpose – to protect the lives of those within the building. By fitting fire doors throughout the building, you are preventing the spreading of fire, smoke and toxic fumes by ‘containing’ the outbreak in specific areas for a certain period of time. This allows the students and staff time to exit the building while also minimising the damage. 

That’s why it is so important to ensure that their compliance, installation, and maintenance is to the highest standards. It isn’t a matter of what looks good, it’s a matter of what is legally required and recommended, and what will save lives should the worst happen.

Security 

Every school has different needs when it comes to security, but considering the vulnerable nature of those within the site – it’s of paramount importance. 

Both students and staff deserve to feel safe in a school environment while still being able to move freely, and you can ensure this with comprehensive security solutions. 

Whether it’s automatic door solutions to enable easy access, multi-card systems to provide varying levels of access control, or video entry systems that monitor visitor access, there are many security solutions that can greatly benefit the safety in school environments. 

When you work with Lloyd Worrall, we ensure that your school, college or university has the correct security solutions for your specific needs. 

You can find out more about our access control solutions here, and our door automation solutions here. 

Vision panels 

Vision panels enable school environments to gain privacy without removing the ability to monitor students.

Being able to see who is on the other side of a door is not only a useful feature for staff and students, but it’s also a safety feature. That’s why we have partnered with Vistomatic, the world’s leading brand of glazed privacy vision panels, to offer a range of vision panels that are designed for environments where both privacy and monitoring are crucial.  

Acoustic performance 

We all know that school, college and university classrooms aren’t always the quietest environments, especially when subjects like music, drama and sports are involved. But this shouldn’t hinder other quieter spaces.

To achieve the desired acoustic performance (which is calculated using a percentage of the wall area the door occupies), doorsets are accurately sealed and fitted with seals inside the frame. This effectively minimises the sound bleeding, dramatically dampening any sound attempting to leave or enter the door. 

Child-friendly elements 

Children of a young age don’t always know what can and can’t hurt them, which is why adding extra safety measures to school doorsets is wise. 

One very common injury is trapped fingers, but with finger protection products, staff and parents can relax with the knowledge that students are prevented from getting hurt in this way. 

Accessibility for children is also a priority, in order to enable them to move unhindered throughout the school. Slide tracks and overhead door closers ease accessibility while also reducing the chances of vandalism.

Finishes 

The finish of a door can make an impact on your design vision. Veneered, laminated, or painted doors offer a variety of different benefits and your choice will depend on your requirements. 

For educational environments, laminate doorsets are often the preferred choice. 

Known for being hard wearing and long-lasting, laminate doors are ideal for high-traffic environments where durability is needed. They’re also available in bright, bold solid colours or subtle muted tones, depending on the school’s desires. 

You can find out more about the finishes that Lloyd Worrall offers here. 

Light Reflective Value measurements can also be supplied to provide the necessary colour contrast for BS 8300 compliance.

Architectural solutions experts you can trust

At Lloyd Worrall, we pride ourselves on working closely with customers in the education sector to ensure they’re receiving a service and product that’s designed to last, perform effectively, and look impressive. We also prioritise compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, no matter the project or product. We’re proud members of the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, and all our accreditations.

If you work in the education sector and you’d like to speak to one of our experts about doorset solutions, contact us on enquiries@lloydworrall.co.uk. 

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