Fire doors explained: A beginner’s guide

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To put it simply, fire doors save lives. Here, IFSEC Insider provides a useful beginner’s guide to fire doors, their purpose, and crucial features to bear in mind when specifying, installing or purchasing them as part of a passive fire protection strategy. 

Fire doors are specialist doors which have been tested against the elements and purpose-built to withstand fires for as long as possible. They enable buildings to compartmentalise and delay the spread of fire from one area to another, and form a crucial part of a passive fire protection strategy.

Certified fire doors will be given a fire-resistance rating, which details the length of time the doorset and its materials will be able to withstand smoke and fire – either 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the rating. They are fitted with intumescent strips (or seals) which expand to fill the gap between the door and the frame.

Fire doors have a few vital safety features and really can be the difference between life and death. Two of the most important functions fire doors have are:

Because of their importance in protecting lives, it is imperative that fire doors receive regular inspections – frequency is likely to depend on many factors, including the age and condition of the door, though the British Woodworking Federation, which runs the annual Fire Door Safety Week campaign, says that periodic checks should be carried out every six months as a minimum.

However, newly occupied buildings may require more frequent checks in the first year of use, while doors with high traffic volume should be checked on a weekly or monthly basis. These fire doors are far more susceptible to damage because of more frequent use, and will likely also form an important barrier in the event of a fire to communal areas – particularly in multi-residential housing blocks.

Worryingly, the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), which carries out checks on fire doors, found that three quarters of all fire doors inspected in 2021 in the UK were condemned as not fit for purpose. The scheme found similar results in 2019 after carrying out inspections, as it highlighted that all users should report maintenance issues and play a proactive role in ensuring faults are quickly addressed.

If you own a commercial or non-domestic property, there are strict regulations and guidelines to follow, ensuring the doors can withstand certain heats. Fire doors should always be fitted correctly by a competent installer, as they’re a carefully engineered fire safety device. It is also imperative that reputable and trained fire door inspectors, such as those approved by schemes like FDIS, carry out fire door inspections and trained installers fit them to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), landlords have a responsibility to ensure their properties and tenants are safe. The ‘responsible person’ has a legal responsibility under the FSO and can be criminally prosecuted if they do not fulfill their duties. The responsibility extends to the requirement for a fire risk assessment in all non-domestic buildings, including the common parts of flats or houses with multiple occupation.

In addition, the Fire Safety Act 2021, amended the Regulatory Reform Order to bring clarification on fire doors being included in fire risk assessments where buildings contain two or more sets of domestic premises (multi-occupancy). This means that Responsible Persons, such as the building owner or manager, must now review fire risk assessment for flat entrance doors in addition to the communal areas and implement a suitable system of maintenance.

Here are some of the key features to look out for in terms of both domestic and commercial use:

More on certification testing of timber fire doors can be found from Firesafe.

There is more information on fire resistant glazing and glass available from the Glass and Glazing Federation. 

Here are five areas to check when investigating fire doors (read full article here):

There are numerous pieces of legislation affecting fire doors in England, due to the various property types and requirements of each. Some of the most important regulations include:

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] Responsible persons urged to refresh fire safety knowledge following legislation changes during Fire Door Safety Week 2023 Warringtonfire and BM Trada are urging responsible persons to refresh their fire safety knowledge following changes to legislation in the UK.

Warringtonfire and BM Trada are urging responsible persons to refresh their fire safety knowledge following changes to legislation in the UK.

Abloy UK is calling for more action with access control compliance, after new statistics revealed a sharp increase in the number of fires in England.

Over half of the UK public couldn’t spot a fault with a fire door, therefore failing to report issues, research from the BWF has revealed.

Fire Door Safety Week, a national awareness campaign first launched in 2013 in response to fire door neglect, celebrates its 10 year anniversary. 

Third party certification awareness for fire doors is growing, yet the proportion of certified fire doors in use has dropped according to the BWF.

Sue Corrick, Product Manager at Allegion UK explains how responsible persons can use the summer break to extend the service life of fire doors in school buildings.

Sunray Engineering, the UK-based manufacturer of security and fire doors, has been acquired by ASSA ABLOY Group.

DHF General Manager & Secretary, Michael Skelding, looks back on this year’s developments with regards to fire safety legislation.

A guide to important fire safety procedures and requirements for flats and multi-occupied residential buildings.

A fire safety consultancy has set up a new partnership with a digital management firm to improve the efficiency of fire safety reporting.

Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.

Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.

I note you have rebated fire & smoke seals, but no mention of surfacece mounted fire & smoke seals, perhaps you could explain why they are not listed.

[…] The fire door or the fire resistant door is a part of the fire protection systems in the building.And it is used to contain fire, smoke and emergency exit during fire.The very impressive growth of access control is undeniable.According to this growth, fireproof doors should meet the needs.The issue of performance and fire resistance of a product appears when we deal with it on a daily basis.In the world, fireproof doors are produced according to two general standards: American: (National... Read more »

I’ve been wanting to learn more about fire doors, so I appreciated your article. I thought it was really cool to learn that fire doors have a seal around the edges that expands and seals a door when temperatures reach over 200 degrees Celsius. Does the sealing of a door make it harder for the fire to spread? Or does it do more for keeping the fire from receiving the oxygen it needs to thrive? https://allthingsinspector.com/product/ada-door-pressure-gauge-push-pull-0-35lbs/

Great post, to install fire doors where the risk is most imminent (SLS Dubai), for example, the kitchen, or rooms which house lots of electrical devices.

We live in Sheltered housing apartments in Hoole Chester The building three floor 36 apartments house high & is 7 yrs old Our floor is top floor residents on this floor age aged with disabilities. The communal fire doors have automatic self closing system. What if these doors fail to close in sleeping hours . This would probably cussed the death of any residents less mobile. Less time to evacuate in time . I have had to fight for the right to be allowed to close our communal fire door at night . We have new residents younger couple &insists…  Read more »

I like how you explain that fire doors are usually made from a solid timber frame, but they can sometimes be covered again in fire-resistant glass. My boss told me that he would like to make sure that our building is safe so that we can feel more comfortable during our shift. I will share this article with him so he can be aware of the benefits of installing fire doors since our office is located in a fire risk zone.

Thank you so much for this great post on fire doors, especially in explaining its features. I like how you explained that fire doors are made from solid timber frames that are sometimes covered by fire-resistant glass. My sister just moved to a condominium in Sydney and I will ask her to check the fire safety measures that her building has stipulated. As a matter of fact, I will share this article with her to ensure that the condominium is well-equipped in preventing fires.

[…] of shutting doors in the event of a fire, or when the premises are unoccupied. Self-closers on the fire doors won’t function if they’re propped […]

[…] doors, shutters and building hardware. If you own a commercial or non-domestic property, there are strict regulations and guidelines to follow, ensuring the doors can withstand certain […]

Hi. We have purchased a 6 bedroom guesthouse. The entrance portal is a double door. i.e A normal front door leading into a very small little hallway which has another door into a passage. We would like to remove this “middle” door and are wondering if this door was ever a requirement under fire regulations etc? Doubt it as it is an external door but maybe there is something we are not aware of? Thanks

[…] Homeowners can also install a fire door, especially in key areas like the kitchen. They have high fire-resistant ratings, and they may slow down the spread of the fire by as long as 30 to 60 minutes. […]

[…] Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, and regular inspections are essential to fully ensure health and safety measures are met. Healthcare buildings can present highly specific requirements for fire doorsets, with particularly varied legislation and building regulations surrounding fire doors in hospitals. […]

[…] of more flexible working, which has placed differing requirements on access control management, fire doors and occupant life safety in commercial […]

[…] are prevalent in all forms of rented accommodation. A third (33%) of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open in the last 12 months, a quarter (25%) have been living with a broken […]

[…] entire rooms in under 10 minutes. But the damage from smoke and fire can be drastically reduced by having fire doors in your home that are closed at night when fires are more […]

[…] save lives and lessen the damage in case of any such incident. Metal fire doors usually have a sturdy frame covered with fire-resistant glass. The hybrid structure makes these doors even more secure and […]

[…] Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, and regular inspections are essential to fully ensure health and safety measures are met. In rail environments, doors need to be durable and extremely high quality to withstand high usage levels over prolonged periods of time. […]

Hello Everyone…It was great post about fire doors, i personally recommend to get install fire doors in commercial as well as high rise residentials for fire safety, as we are into installation of fire doors since last 10 years.

[…] addition, in all residential type buildings, all fire doors should be fitted with a self-closing device, while self-closing devices should be fitted to the […]

I have trawled through many pages of advice but I cannot find a recommendation on the number of fire doors an office needs? Obviously I would assume if there is only one doorway this should be a fire door but we have an office 8m x 5m with three exits, one is designated a Fire Escape Route but the other two could also be used as a means of escape. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Is there anyone to help answer my concern that the bigger size doorset tested cover the smaller size doorset without additional test required or vice versa? Thanks

Does a stair case surrounded by block wall and concrete floor and ceilings warrant fire doors

Can you drill on the outside of a fire door to mount a warning sign with screws??

Your Fire risk Assessment Should have identified the doors that need to be fire doors. If you have not completed a fire risk assessment perhaps you might appoint a local fire safety assessor to complet one on your behalf. There are many reasons for instaling fire doors These mainly protect means of escape routes and High Risk rooms preventing the spread of fire into escape routes. There is detailed HM government Guidance available through HMSO suppliers. I am trying not to confuse you but this can be a detailed subject

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