Introduction

If fire breaks out, it can quickly spread through a building if it is unhindered.

Walls, ceilings and floors all form hindering barriers that interrupt the spread of smoke, toxic gases and the fire itself. However, where a door is opened this fire barrier is compromised, so certified fire doors, that resist fire and are self-closing, must be installed in certain situations.

Current Building Regulations stipulate that certain doors in certain domestic dwellings must be self-closing and meet a minimum FD20 level of resistance.

• If your home has three or more stories, or is situated in a building with three or more stories, doors leading to staircases, escape routes and communal areas must meet building regulations fire requirements..
• In any dwelling, an internal door connecting to a garage must also satisfy these regulations.

• Building Regulations Part B: Fire Safety
• Extensions

If you are in any doubt, contact your local Fire Prevention Officer via your local council;

• Find your local authority

Fire-Resistant Doors

Not all doors are fire doors; only those tested in a furnace and certified by recognised testing laboratories can be described in this way.

Made of either steel or more often wood with a core of solid board, an FD30 fire door is capable of resisting flame penetration and smoke passage through splits or gaps for at least 30 minutes.

Fire doors that include one or more windows, must be glazed with fire-resistant glazing which is certified as FRG30. This glass will be acid etched with British Standard 476.

• Safety glazing marked as BS 6206 or BS 6262 is NOT fire-resistant.

Fire-Resistant Doorframes

Fire doors are only effective when they are hung within a frame that has intumescent seals. These seals swell when they are heated by fire and therefore create an air tight seal that prevents the passage of smoke.

Door Closers

All fire doors must be fitted with a self-closing mechanism that is capable of closing the door tight against the stop of its frame, and can overcome any resistance from a latch or lock.

Hanging a Fire Door

• A fire door must be hung to fit closely within its frame, with a maximum gap of 5mm at each edge.
• Good quality metal butt hinges with a melting point of no less than 800^oC must also be used, so nylon hinges are unacceptable.
• Cutting a hole in the door to accommodate a lock or latch will reduce its fire-resistance, so use the smallest mortise lock you can find.

Further information and useful links

• Types of door
• Door materials
• Door hanging options
• Common sizes of door
• Full list of windows & doors topics

• Find a Door supplier near you
• Find a Carpenter near you