Neil ashdown

The problem is that composite fire resisting doors are designed for flat entrance doors, not for fully exterior situations. So unless you can provide a shelter to sufficiently protect the door from weather, you will need a timber-based fire door. This means the core is made from timber but with the recent technology of engineered timber the door should be stable even in fully exterior situations. The best way forward is to make an enquiry to the technical departments of the door-core manufacturers and ask them where you can buy the door you need using the engineered core that they manufacture. Try these https://www.halspan.com/products/solid-timber-core & https://www.falconpp.co.uk/contact/ Also, remember the thicker and denser the timber the more likely it is to perform well in exterior situations, also ask them about finishes for best edge and face weather protection and whether multi-point locking is permitted.

If an intumescent strip is missing from the edge of the door leaf or from the head or jamb of the door frame, it should be replaced with the correct sized strip and of the same type as the other strips fitted. The reason that intumescent strips are not fitted to both door leaf and frame, is that the intumescent strip is designed to expand to form a seal against a solid surface rather than against an opposing intumescent strip. It is not uncommon to find intumescent strips fitted to both door and frame opposing each other and this has usually been done in ignorance of the fire door installation requirements. Some people often say that having strips fitted in this way could cause the doors to open in a fire situation due to the expanding pressure from both seals and therefore the door would fail to provide the required fire separation performance. However, there are some double leaf fire doors with edge protectors that have been tested with opposing strips to the meeting edges of both door leaves. Clearly, a fire door fitted with intumescent strips in a manner contrary to the door manufacturer's installation requirements could behave in an unpredictable way in a fire situation, that's why the fire door industry trade associations go to such lengths to promote correct and compliant fire door installation. More on this at https://www.ifsa.org.uk/

The 50mm gap is too large for a timber-based fire door assembly. Consult 'BS 8214:2016 Timber-based fire door assemblies - Code of practice' for details about maximum gap sizes and suitable fire stopping materials.

Yes, if they are required by the door leaf manufacturers evidence of fire resistance performance.

That depends on the fire door leaf manufacturers requirements. Many fire door manufacturer's insist that such work is carried out by approved processors under licence. If the vision panel is not fitted in this way, then the fire performance certification for the door is void. However, if you are fabricating a door from a fire door blank, you can cut and glaze vision panels so long as the work is carried out within the scope of the blank manufacturers instructions.

For the door to be properly effective as a fire door the maximum gap at the bottom should be 10mm. You could fit a threshold plate to the floor or cill under the door to rectify this or if you prefer you could fix a hardwood lipping to the bottom edge of the door. Today's building regulations require such a door to be self-closing and to restrict spread of cold smoke FD30(s) so a suitable self-closing device, the correct size intumescent seals and smoke seals should be fitted. To seal the gap at the bottom edge of the door you could fit a threshold seal (see below). Not sure what the requirements were in 1985.

You seem to be describing combined intumescent fire and smoke seals, both are suitable. When fitted the brush or blade should lightly contact the surface of the door edge or door frame to provide an effective seal to restrict the spread of cold smoke. The brush type tends to be more durable but the blade type are more forgiving in terms of the door self-closing and overcoming the resistance fro the seal.

Before you prepare to install and when you carry out the installation, carefully adhere to the fire door leaf manufacturer's instructions. These should include screw fixing sizes, penetration and centres for frame to wall. For advice on smoke seals and threshold requirements try ifsa.org.uk and asdma.com

Although there is no legal requirement for the fire door installer/maintainer to have a particular qualification, there are relevant requirements set out in Article 17 and Article 18 of the Fire Safety Order https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/17/made and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/18/made There is no list of competent installers / maintainers as far as I am aware.

The standard for door self-closing devices is BS EN 1154. For a fire door the device should be minimum power-size 3 and have controls for adjustment of closing speed and damping action. Section three of the document 'Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors - Code of Practice' at http://www.firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf#:~:text=Code of Practice%3A Hardware for Fire and Escape,on fire-resisting doors and doorsets%2C and escape doors. provides detailed information.

The guidance document BS 8214: 2016 'Timber-based fire door assemblies-Code of practice' deals with threshold gaps for restricted cold smoke spread requirements in section 12.3. So its clear that, when installing fire doors to that standard, the door bottom edge to floor covering/threshold plate gap should not exceed that specified by the fire door leaf manufacturer, this is commonly 6mm to 10mm. Where the door is required to restrict spread of cold smoke the threshold gap should not exceed 3mm. Where a 3mm gap cannot be achieved (due to floor condition) a suitable threshold plate or ramp should be fitted to the floor and/or a threshold seal to the door leaf as necessary. In terms of responsibility, its impossible to answer your question because details of the agreement between you and your client are unknown. Eg. Who carried out the pre-works survey? In my view, the fire door installer should inform the client about threshold gap requirements and recommend suitable solutions (as described above) where gaps are excessive. Hope this helps.

Falcon Panel Products are the importer of Flamebreak and have a very good technical dept. https://www.falconpp.co.uk/contact/

Here is a link https://www.warringtoncertification.com/certificates/CF257/5606/CF257 Pyroguard.pdf to a Certifire certificate of approval and data sheet for Pyroguard. Check with the joiner that this is the product they will be using. The data sheet provides you with details about the fire resistance performance of the product, how it may be used, its limitations and how it should be installed. If he is not a Competent Person, why would you consider engaging his services? And don't forget to check whether you are required to notify Local Building Control.

This topic also applies to your question:

There is currently no legal requirement for a fire door installer to possess a dedicated qualification or certification. However, building operators must comply with the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Articles 17 and 18 deal with maintenance and competence.

Any repairs to fire doors must be done in such a way as to improve and not detract from the likely fire resistance performance of the door. Clearly repairing a damaged door is likely to improve its fire performance but take care to use the correct materials. Hardwood for lippings should be between 6mm and 18mm thick for FD30 and 8mm and 15mm for FD60. It would be wise to avoid the use of Beech (certainly for FD60) and density of the timber should be 640 kg per cubic metre or more. Use urea formaldehyde based adhesives. Clearly, when repairing a nominal door there is no certification data sheet or fire resistance report to refer to, but by identifying the core material: Timber, Chipboard or Tubecore, you can find technical information in the public domain and therefore ensure the repairs meet the requirements of doors similar to the ones you are repairing. Two things to remember though: 1) This work should be done by Competent Persons as referenced in Article 18 of the 2005 Fire Safety Order, 2) A Nominal fire door has no evidence of fire performance and therefore risk of failure to provide fire performance is greater that that of an evidenced or certificated fire door. Ensure such risks are dealt with in the Fire Risk Assessment for your building. It would likely be prudent to replace the fire door instead of repair it in some locations where risk to harm is more likely! With regard to opposing fire seals, this can sometimes be an issue. How much of an issue is likely to depend on whether the door is latched or unlatched, whether it is single leaf or double leaf and whether it is single acting or double acting. Finally, look at guidance documents available for upgrading timber based fire doors (TRADA is a good source), and for seals visit ifsa.org.uk , get a copy of Code of practice Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors and the BS 8214 : 2016 Timber-based Fire door assemblies - Code of practice.

A fire resistant partition will always be a complete system comprising the boards, studwork, fixings and infill etc. all installed as fire test evidence requires https://www.british-gypsum.com/literature/white-book for example There are also fire rated products for use where the services pass through the partition https://www.rockwool.co.uk/product-overview/fire-stopping-products/ for example. Other brands are available.

https://www.firedoorscomplete.com/fire-door-training

Maximum threshold gap for FD60(s) is 3mm. Refer to BS 8214:2016 Timber based fire door assemblies Code of practice

The handles do not need to be fire rated. However, the installation works for the handles must not compromise the fire and smoke resistance performance of the fire doors.

For metal fire door-sets you would have to contact the manufacturer for gap requirements.

Contact the door leaf manufacturer to find out the adhesive requirements for that particular door type. Intumescent seals are best positioned in the door frame but it is acceptable to fit them to the door leaf edges as an alternative. An inspector cannot 'over-rule' product certification.

The top edge of the door is potentially most vulnerable in a fire situation. Without seeing the door and the 'gap' you mention it is impossible to say whether an effective repair might be possible.

Both FD30s and FD60s would require smoke seals to restrict the spread of smoke at the door leaf to door frame gap at the top edge and all vertical edges. The door threshold will also need to be compliant.