Neil ashdown

The person / contractor should be able to demonstrate sufficient competence to be able to complete the job. Make sure they have the necessary SKEB, see https://www.citb.co.uk/standards-and-delivering-training/training-standards/competence-frameworks/ If you are unsure you could appoint an independant inspector to sign-off the work https://afdi.org.uk/

For most fire doors, the performance certification requires the wall to be at least 70mm thick. I am yet to see one where such a thin wall is suitable.

Yes it can, but you may need to make the stop lath wider to get a secure fixing.

This type of composite fire resisting door was popular in the early 2000s. Is the self-closer a chain type, fitted to the hanging edge of the door and hanging jamb of the door frame? Many were. Could be a Birtley or IG door but unlikely that the manuufacturer would still hold data after this length of time. You could try contacting https://www.acdm.co.uk/ The Association of Composite Door Manufacturers, if you send them images of the doors they may be able to help. You may find Para 62.17 of the HM Gov guidance at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e9def95b6524001af21bcc/Fire_Safety_in_Purpose_Built_Blocks_of_Flats_Guide-update.pdf helpful in terms of Notional Fire Doors.

The stop lath should not be removed and replaced by a door-closer slide arm track. Check that the budget self-closer you are using has fire performance certification for use in the paralell arm cofiguaration, some come with a push-side kit but even so are only suitable for fire doors in projecting arm (pull side) cofiguaration. Check this out, this company has a few instructional films available. Contact them for more info and with any questions. They also run training sessions.

Yes you do, because your flat should be a fire compartment and so should your neighbour's flat be a fire compartment - but separate to yours. That's why you both need your own fire door.

Best to contact your local Building Control office for advice. My experience, having received different comments from different LBC offices.

The lock keep should be tightly morticed into the door frame stile or secondary door leaf so that there are no gaps or voids. Intumescent gasket material is usually required for FD60 doors and sometimes for FD30, the door data sheet should provide the necessary information.

As you say, the requirement for this type of house is that the staircase must be protected to facilitate safe use in a fire. The existing doors, as described, should be suitable for this purpose and the proposed alterations should maintain that level of protection. Building Control may require evidence that the alterations do indeed maintain the required level of fire protection.

This FPA article (see link below) including the link to UK Gov guidance may be of interest, underlining several previous comments in this thread: https://www.thefpa.co.uk/news/government-issues-update-to-fire-door-guidance-

The lock keep should be tightly morticed into the door frame stile or secondary door leaf so that there are no gaps or voids. Intumescent gasket material is usually required for FD60 doors and sometimes for FD30, the door data sheet should provide the necessary information.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d17064a005e6f9841a1d50/Approved_Document_B_volume_2_Buildings_other_than_Dwellings_2019_edition_incorporating_2020_2022_and_2025_amendments_collated_with_2026_and_2029_amendments.pdf Appendix C Fire Doorsets C11: Fire Door Signs. Complying with BS 5499-5. All fire doorsets should be marked on both sides, except fire doorsets to cupboards and service ducts, which should be marked on the outside. https://www.firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors_issue_5.pdf Fire Safety Signs page 104 to 112.

You could search for a local fire door inspector at https://afdi.org.uk/category/find-a-fire-door-inspector/ and https://fdis.co.uk/approved-fdis-inspector/

It would very likely be possible to upgrade the fire resistance and smoke spread restriction of your flat entrance door but the term FD30(s) can only refer to either a door with product certification (which yours probably doesn't have) or a door that has been inspected/assessed by a suitably competent person as a Notional FD30(s) or Nominal FD30(s) door. Before you decide on any action, it would be worth consulting the UK Gov guidance whilst considering the location of the door in the block, fire evacuation strategy and potential risk from fire to the occupier(s) of the flat and other residents at the block. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-your-small-block-of-flats-safe-from-fire/a-guide-to-making-your-small-block-of-flats-safe-from-fire-accessible and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-in-purpose-built-blocks-of-flats

Make some intrusive surveys of a sample percentage of the 40 doors. If the cores are the same as fire doors, it may be possible to retain them and upgrade as necessary. "NFR" on a sticker on top of the door doesn't mean the core is unsuitable, it may be the same core as the fire doors.

https://www.lorientuk.com/products/architectural-seals

Generally, the maximum threshold gap for a fire resisting door is 10mm. For a door that is required to restrict the spread of cold smoke its 3mm. 3mm is often difficult to acheive due to imperfect floor conditions, so a 10mm gap is acceptable so long as its sealed with a flexible seal. Ref. BS 8214: 2016 Timber-based Fire Door Assemblies Code of Practice. UK Gov fire door safety guidance reconises this difficulty. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/677fbe166f01ae28ab5c0554/A+guide+to+making+your+small+block+of+flats+safe+from+fire+2024.pdf Page 18

As Mike says, the managaing agent may have had some sort of survey or inspection including the flat entrance doors. So they should be able to provide details about why the doors are non-compliant and why they should be replaced. If they have defects, why can't these be remediated instead of replaced?

Bryony at https://www.ironout.co.uk/ can help

Samual Heath at https://concealeddoorclosers.com/powermatic-r100-concealed-door-closer/ New Star at https://www.new-star.co.uk/products/agb-eclipse-self-concealed-hinge-with-door-closer?_pos=1&_psq=self-closer&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Contact them and the door manufacturer to check suitability for your type of door, fire rating and end use.

Fire resistance performance test evidence does exist for some night latches. But compliance also depends of the core-type for the timber-based fire door in question. An experienced fire door inspector should be able to assist you. Failing that, an experienced fire risk assessor may be able to help.

If that's the only reason why the latest inspection has found the door to be unsuitable, the inspector would need to back up their finding with the relevant documentation.

If the installer says the door is non-compliant due to the thickness being 42mm or 43mm (rather than 44mm) and requires replacement, they should back that up with the relevant documentation (guidance/certification/product data sheet etc). If they can't, then what basis do they have for making that recommendation?

So, has the Installer said why the door needs to be replaced? At residential blocks below 11m in height, there's no statutory requirement to inspect fire doors to a particular schedule but there is (under Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005) a legal obligation, as you would expect, to ensure fire doors "are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair". See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/17