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Yes it is. If you are using softwood (redwood or whitewood) for the door frame you can use the same materials for the packers / folding-wedges. But obviously, hardwood and and hardwood plywood is more resistant to compression.

Access control doesn't need a fire alarm interface if not part of means of escape, the last thing it should do is failsafe - the main issue with the use of this type of lock is that it most cases it affects the integrity of the door & does meet the appropriate standard. On an existing installation from a risk assessment point of view the main question is is will it keep the door shut for the intended duration of the fire door.

Becca, from what you say it seems the door is a composite flat entrance fire door? You were wise to consult the door-set manufacturer and it would be good to keep the correspondence from them in case any issues or questions of any kind arise in future.

Thanks very much.

How long should I leave the emergency light on while doing my monthly test? Need the reference as well please. Thank you. F

Hi, I am hoping that someone will be able to give me some advice please. I have a flat and the bedroom window is on the fire escape route, so should be fire rated glazing. The trouble with this, is that this would be a fixed pane, and would then not meet the regulations to provide an exit window from the bedroom. It seems to be a catch 22 situation, either the glazing is fire rated to adhere to the regulatations for a fire exit route, or the glazing is standard to adhere to the means of escape regulations. Any advice appreciated please?

My initial thoughts were that on this KEEP LOCKED fire door a mag lock would not be suitable, as electrical failure would result in it unlocking. I am going to recommend mag lock is removed.

Yes the door manufacturers have actually sent across the certification, which is helpful. Given that they have confirmed the door still meets current requirements though, the builders don't seem willing to fix the suggested issues, but to be honest I'm not sure they are legally obliged to? I'm just trying to get an understanding of what legally needs to be done (if anything) here, so that I can go back to the fire door surveyors if necessary with evidence of the certification and explain that actually nothing needs to be done? Thanks for your reply!

Good morrning, Is it possible to use spruce wood wedges to insert a wooden door frame made of softwood into a brick wall opening for FD 30?

Hi All, I have responsibility for a large number of buildings that have what I would call a kitchenette. They have tea and coffee making facilities with a microwave and a toaster. There is no open flame cooking such as a hob and neither are there any deep fat fryers etc. I have been asked if they need fire blankets as they are kitchens. My instinct is that we take a risk based approach to this and when you consider the type of fires you are likely to encounter and the types of fires a blanket is designed to combat it isn't necessary. I can't find anything specific for fire blankets so am reaching out to you folks for advice. Thanks in advance, Tim

If the mag-lock releases when the alarm sounds then the locked cupboard door would be open? Applying the best practice guidance, the lock should be CE or UKCA marked to BS EN 12209 - the mag-lock will not comply.

You need the manufacturers certification for the doors, this should have been included with the regulation 38 information and handed over with the building. However, given the age of the building, I would ask the builder to remediate under the warranty.

Mag locks are perfectly acceptable as long as the door cert allows them. Care must be taken when they are used on an escape route, they should fail safe in the unlocked position when the fire alarm is activated.

If it's a 2010 build and is as you describe (& the front doors are into internal common lobbies/corridors/stairways) then it was never compliant with Building Regulations as it's recent enough to have required 4mm(ish) gaps and intumescent strips and cold smoke brushes. The 'no strip' notional door guidance is aimed to avoid unnecessary cost burdens on residents of small blocks who have fire doors to older standards but in good condition and compliant with the standard at the time of installation. Are there channels in the door frame where the strips should have been fitted or did the builders not even get as far as the correct frame to accept strips? If it's a small block it may be seen as a lower risk issue (especially if working closers are fitted) but it wasn't right originally and is symptomatic of the slack standards of the 21st Century building industry and the ineffectiveness of the building control process - if an obvious defect like the doors got through, I'd want to carefully investigate fire stopping & compartmentation as these hidden issues are usually even more often poorly completed!

Obviously outside the scope of fire safety legislation being a private dwelling, but it appears it's a version of the below - although if only first floor and under 4.5m then means of escape windows would be adopted as a second escape.

Thanks Neil, so like everything else in the world of fire doors, if the mag lock in question has been tested, fitted and maintained correctly its a potential yes a mag lock lock alone is sufficient. Found this document for a particular model which has been tested. Does the lack of a CE mark have an impact, or is the test data enough? Mag Lock Test report.pdf

Hi Neil, thanks for your reply! I have actually been in touch with both the building constructors and the door manufacturers and was told the below: "After the Grenfell disaster we had to carry out a legacy testing program, where we had to provide evidence that the door when tested bi-directionally would comply to the current standards which it did and all testing passed. The units passed tests without the need to add additional intumescent to the lock, spy hole etc. and we are still using the same hinge type although the current hinge is now CE marked, whereas that wasn’t a requirement in 2018" So I'm guessing in this case the door still meets requirements and the fire door surveyor is just being over-cautious, and nothing actually needs replacing?

Small, first-floor flat consists of a kitchen / living room and a small (windowless) bedroom and bathroom. There is a single exit from the flat, via the 4x4m kitchen / living room. To exit the flat from the bedroom and bathroom (which is adjoined to the bedroom), it is necessary to pass through the kitchen / living room. There is a total travel distance of about 7m. The door from the bedroom and the exit door are both on the other side of the kitchen / living room, so no need to pass directly by the kitchen oven / appliances. The kitchen / living room is fitted with hard-wired heat detection (so more time for the fire to develop, than smoke detection). Is this acceptable? I'm particularly worried if the resident is in the bathroom during a fire in the kitchen. Thanks

Section 6 of the document 'Code of Practice: Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors' at http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf states that locks must be suitably fire rated for the purpose. Critical recommendations (see below) can be found on page 61

2018 is very recent in terms of timber-based fire door Standards. It may well be the case that the door manufacturer's fire performance certification requires that the hinges be UKCA or CE marked to the correct fire rating and durability rating in accordance with BS EN 1935: 2002. Similarly, the same door certification may require that the lock/latch-set has intumescent protection and the security viewer too. Contact the fire door surveyor, they should be able to provide the product certification details for the door and the specification for the hinges and intumescent protection gaskets.

Hi, The building has 7 floors, with around 3 flats per floor (the ground floor has only 2 flats) And yes the staircase are at the right of the door 3 when leaving my flat and there is also an elevator in front of the entrance. So what would be the requirement and the need in this case to remediate my flat door if the 2 others one are compliant with fire standard ? Thank you again for the helpful answers.

Is a mag lock being fitted to a Keep locked fire door acceptable? No other lock present. On a riser/services/cleaners store room etc. My intuition is no but I'm happy to corrected.

Thanks. And if defined as shared accommodation, there is more relaxations in LACoRS compared to a standard HMO?

Basically, if the landlord lets the tenancy out to a group of individuals as a single entity then it is shared accommodation, if the landlord lets individual rooms out then it’s an HMO. But you need legal advice

There are no requirements for it to be fire retardent