I   n   t   r   o   d   u   c   t   i   o   n

Shadmaster doors are purpose-made flush doors of high performance and quality. They are generally for internal use, but an external version can also be supplied.

The strength of the Shadmaster door is that complex and sophisticated aesthetic design details can be achieved, and high performance criteria for fire resistance, sound insulation, mechanical performance, strength and security can be combined in one door, using our normal construction methods. The construction also enables very demanding size requirements to be satisfied whilst maintaining the full level of performance. .

The Shadmaster core, exclusive to Shadbolt, offers a high standard of technical performance in terms of fire resistance, sound insulation, dimensional stability and mechanical strength, as well as a superb substrate for veneering and other finishes. Doors of co-ordinated appearance can be used throughout a scheme, the identical appearance concealing a range of performances according to the location of each door. The solid all-timber construction allows doors to be worked with normal tools; it gives the freedom to apply ironmongery as and where required, and to provide doors with glazed apertures in almost any configuration. All Shadmaster doors are also available as doorsets complete with frames and ironmongery, and with the same performance (see the Doorsets section of this website for frame details).

for a detailed drawing of the Shadmaster internal door click here

T   h   e     S   h   a   d   m   a   s   t   e   r     c   o   r   e

Shadmaster doors use the unique Shadmaster core, made in such a way as to provide maximum stability, which is crucial to fire performance, and also to eliminate show-through of core construction on the veneered surface.
Many door manufacturers use blockboard, flaxboard or chipboard cores; the different constructions are compared here.

Shadmaster core Sheets are peeled from the log following the annual growth rings, then bonded together and sawn into strips. This gives consistent and balanced grain orientation which is inherently stress-free, and allows behaviour to be confidently predicted. The uniform grain orientation and narrowness of the strips minimise distortion during a fire - a critical factor in achieving fire performance, since it avoids the risk of gaps developing between the door and frame. The inherent stability eliminates core shadow and provides a ripple-free surface. Stability is guaranteed up to 3048 x 1524mm

for a detailed drawing of the Shadmaster core click here

Other constructions (not used for Shadmaster)
Blockboard core

Blockboard uses thick strips with a random grain direction, which yields unpredictable behaviour. Differential movement may cause rippling of the surface which will show through the veneer. There is also a greater tendency to distort in fire.

Flaxboard core

Flaxboard cores are framed on all edges with softwood or MDF, then faced with chipboard, plywood or MDF. There may be movement between frame and core, and the framing can show through the veneer.

Extruded chipboard core

Extruded chipboard cores are constructed using the same basic methods as for flaxboard, giving rise to the same problems of lower stability and frame show-through.

for a detailed drawing click here

C   o   n   s   t   r   u   c   t   i   o   n

Core Shadmaster doors use the Shadmaster substrate as standard; this is a unique form of construction developed by Shadbolt and exclusive to us. It comprises a solid timber core built up from narrow laminated 6mm wide spruce sections, and faced on both sides with 6mm high density (650kg/m3) chipboard for internal doors or plywood for external doors. The spruce sections are not sawn, but are peeled from the log following the growth rings, ensuring a consistent grain orientation which is inherently stress-free and which contributes to the high stability of the material. Doors are of solid construction, with no internal framing or infill.

click here for detailed drawing of lipping, ironmongery, Glazed apertures, Storey height doors and overpanels, Pre-machined doors

Lippings

Edge lippings of minimum 7mm thickness in nearest matching timber are normally applied to the edges of the door leaf before veneering.

Ironmongery

Shadmaster doors can be supplied fitted with any ironmongery permitted by the Code of Practice for Essential Hardware, published by the Association of Builder's Hardware Manufacturers. Shadbolt can advise on and source suitable locks and hinges; for further information please contact our Technical Department.

Glazed apertures

The Shadmaster door construction provides exceptional freedom to incorporate glazed apertures in doors in a variety of sizes and shapes, without compromising performance. More details are given later under Shadmaster glazed fire doors.

Storey height doors and overpanels

Matching overpanels can generally be supplied for any Shadmaster doors. However, the exceptional size range of Shadmaster doors makes it possible in most cases to supply storey height doors rather than a door and overpanel. Storey height doors are generally recommended because they are cheaper to manufacture, quicker to install, eliminate the need for grain alignment between door and overpanel, and avoid a horizontal joint line.

Pre-machined doors

All Shadmaster doors can be supplied pre-machined to take hinges, locks, kick and push plates, protective rails and other ironmongery. Recessed areas can be pre-cut in the door faces to allow for contrasting or grain pattern changes in the veneer, special inlays, laminates, and other inserts. Grooves and recesses for mouldings can also be cut.

These pre-machining operations are fully computerised. Information on door sizes and specified ironmongery is fed into the computer, which then automatically calculates lock and hinge positions. Details of popular standard ironmongery from major manufacturers are stored in our computer files for speed of working, but any ironmongery can be accommodated as required. The computer programme incorporates standard recommendations for hinge positions, so reducing queries and the risk of error. Aperture sizes and positions are also entered, so that all machining can be controlled and carried out as a single operation. A printed schedule of all pre-machining for every door can then be supplied to the customer for checking and verification before manufacture. The cutting and routing machinery is controlled directly by the computer, so minimising the possibility of error. The flexibility of the machinery to carry out a whole range of operations reduces handling and increases speed of working. This system guarantees accuracy, reproducibility and reliability, whilst enabling tolerances to be controlled at a level not previously possible with timber-based products.

Pre-machined and pre-finished doors

As a special service designed to meet specific requirements, pre-machined and pre-finished doors can be supplied ready for immediate fixing on site. The doors are pre-machined to accept the ironmongery specified (to be supplied and fixed by others) and fully finished. Thus installation time and cost are cut to the minimum. For further information please contact our Technical Department.

S   i   z   e

All doors are purpose-made. They may be manufactured to exact sizes or with allowances for site trimming, depending on customer requirements and whether doors are fully finished by Shadbolt or by others.

Maximum size of leaf for Shadmaster internal doors is 3048 x 1524mm.

See also later pages for fire door size envelopes.

Thickness, weight

Thickness (mm)	Weight (kg/m2)
40 45 50 54	22.8 22.50 27.0 29.4

A   p   p   e   a   r   a   n   c   e

The quality of finishes matches that of performance. The range of finishes is summarised below; for more details of all finishes, see the Finishes section of this website.

Most finish options are available for any type of door without affecting performance (subject to limitations for some finishes), so that a matched and co-ordinated appearance can be achieved for all doors in a building, regardless of different performance requirements. Doors can also be matched to wall panels, skirtings, trims etc.

Veneers

The majority of doors are supplied veneered, and the Shadmaster core forms an ideal base for application of wood veneer.

Veneered doors are generally book-matched as one panel, but other effects are possible, for example:

• Decorative inlays of contrasting veneers or other materials.

• Stile and rail effect achieved by changes in the direction of grain of the veneer.

• Panelled effect achieved by the use of applied mouldings and quartered veneer.

The Shadmaster core has been tested to BS 5369 (ISO 6444) for behaviour under varying temperature and humidity regimes:

Normal (dry) up to 65% RH, 10 - 25⁰C
Humid 65 - 85% RH, 10 - 25⁰C

Doors withstand these changes without delamination or deterioration.

Shadmaster doors subjected to demanding temperature/humidity regimes (from 10⁰C at 90% RH to 35⁰C at 30% RH) for a total of 205 days showed excellent dimensional stability with no bonding failure and no effect on appearance.

These tests demonstrate the essential stability of the Shadmaster core. However, in order to protect finishes our recommendations for temperature and humidity conditions during storage and installation must be carefully observed (see Sitework in the Appendices).

Health and safety

Shadmaster doors have been designed to comply with the stringent requirements of European formaldehyde emission standards. When tested for formaldehyde emission in accordance with BS 5669: 1989 the cores achieved the following ratings:

45mm FD30 door, E1 rating.
54mm FD60 door, E2 rating.

E1 rating is the lowest emission level currently required in Europe.

I   n   s   t   a   l   l   a   t   i   o   n

Shadmaster doors are installed in the same way as solid timber doors and require no special tools or techniques.

See the Doorsets and frames section of this website for details of frame installation.

© Shadbolt International 2006