Neil ashdown

It would be called a 'double-swing action' fire door. The door would be hinged on pivots with a floor mounted spring (floor spring) so that the doors self-close and centre correctly.

As its a communal balcony, it would be expected that other residents may have to get past your flat entrance door to reach the escape? Therefore, if your door failed to provide fire separation others could be harmed? If that's not the case (noted, you say there are two exits) ask the fire risk assessor why your door needs to be replaced?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/49648867 Children sleep through alarms' BBC programme finds

There are jamb concealed self-closer devices that may be suitable such as the Powermatic R100. However, you must check that the door leaf is suitable for that type of device and this will depend on the door core construction type. Check the certification data sheet, technical manual, evidence of performance etc. for the door leaf.

Fire safety is risk based. The Fire safety Order requires the RP to carry out a fire risk assessment. In the case of mental healthcare the RP has to have regard for the risk to relevant persons both in terms of fire and self-harm.

I have encountered such a situation at a mental health unit for a large primary healthcare trust. The trust's fire safety officer allowed fire resisting doors to patient bedrooms to be non-self closing. This link may be useful? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suite-of-guidance-on-fire-safety-throughout-healthcare-premises-parts-a-to-m

Check the product has evidence of fire performance and suitability for the doors in question https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-door-seals-surface-mounted-intumescent-fire-and-smoke-seal-kit-product-1/

The fire rated glazing will have been fire performance tested in a furnace using a suitable beading and gasket system for the retention of the glass in a fire situation. From that test a fire resistance report will have been written and within that report will be stated the requirements for gasket materials, beading materials and fixing pin or screw requirements. The manufacturer of the FR glass will be able to advise you on the particular requirements for that FR glass product. It is not uncommon for some contractors to install FR glass using non-compliant gasket/retention systems! I recommend that you seek advice from the manufacturer / supplier of the glass.

No recent changes to gap requirements. These should be in accordance with the door leaf manufacturers installation instructions, product data sheet or technical manual. Usually, that means the gap between the door leaf and door frame at the vertical edges and top edge should be minimum 2mm and maximum 4mm. At the threshold the gap between the door bottom edge and the floor covering or threshold plate should be 3mm maximum where cold smoke protection is a requirement. Clearly, HMOs will require cold smoke protection. Where a max 3mm gap cannot be achieved it is permissible to fit a threshold smoke seal to fill the gap, but the gap between the door bottom edge and the floor covering or threshold plate should not be more than 10mm. Where cold smoke protection is not a requirement the bottom gap should not exceed 10mm.

Just to correct Tom on one point. Fire Doors Complete Ltd is not the parent company for FDIS but as part owner of Fire Doors Complete and as a fire door inspector I am qualified with FDIS as well as with BRE.

The installation instructions or product data sheet for the fire door leaf will advise which fire seals are necessary. Be careful to adhere otherwise performance certification may be void. BS 8214:2016 Timber based fire door assemblies Code of practice provides further guidance also check out the website of the Intumescent Fire Seals Association at https://www.ifsa.org.uk/ for best practice guidance.

Your fire risk assessment and escape strategy should identify which doors need to be fire resisting.

Purchase a fire rated door blank with suitable evidence of performance. The blank can be cut to size and at the edges and lipped with suitable hardwood. Follow the technical manual for the door blank with regard to sizing and installation. Alternatively order a custom-made fire door to the size you require and install in accordance with the door leaf installation instructions/product data sheet.

Page 19 of the document 'Code of Practice: Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors' at http://www.firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf provides guidance.

I would advise you to consult the following local government document on this subject....."Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats" at https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/fire-safety-purpose-built-04b.pdf

You don't have to be accredited to install, maintain or repair fire doors. But you do need to be competent. The main issue is that there is little in the way of standardization when in comes to installing the different makes/models/types of fire doors. Different makes and models of fire door may well have different requirements for intumescent seal sizes, hinge positions and lock case sizes for example. All fire doors should have technical data sheets or installation instructions and these must be followed in their entirety. If not then, the performance certification is void and the fire performance may be jeopardized. So if you are installing a new fire door leaf into an existing frame, you may for example find that the required hinge positions are incompatible with the existing frame.

Some housing associations specify the self-closer be fitted to the outside so that the fire safety officer can check residents have not removed the device. Where a self-closer is fitted to the push side it must have fire test evidence for that configuration, sufficient power-size to BS EN 1154 and be installed using the correct parallel arm bracket.

There are competent persons that have the credentials to inspect fire doors, even where no evidence of performance is held by the building operator. The fire door inspector should provide a report detailing which doors are compliant and including a description of the work necessary to bring non-compliant doors to the required standard.

Hi Troy, Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, organisations such as councils and housing associations have been noticeably careful to try and procure fire safety related services provided by competent persons. They are generally looking for evidence of competence such as a related qualification or membership of a certification scheme. BM Trada is one such scheme but there are others and there have been instances where organisations have accepted alternatives. So its worth asking the council what other proof of competencies are acceptable to them. I should add that, there is currently no legal requirement to have a particular qualification or belong to a certification scheme to be able to work on fire doors.

Hi Ian, I understand your frustration. I have been in the fire door industry since January 2004 and have seen more incorrectly installed doors than correct ones. Even though manufacturers provide installation instructions, doors are still found to be non-compliant and therefore increasing the risk of premature failure in a fire. The reason why there are such strict limitations to edge trimming on some doors (generally speaking) is that many of the standard sized doors have a lightweight-core construction that is dependant on perimeter timber framing around the core for fire performance integrity. In order to keep prices down the framing section used is the minimum required to pass the 30 minute fire performance test. A fire door, just like a tonne of sand, is a commodity item when it comes to buyers from large construction companies needing to buy at the lowest price. However if you go 'upmarket' you can purchase solid core fire door blanks that have much greater trim allowances. You can then produce a non standard sized door but you must carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions. Always ask the supplier for them when you buy. Some suppliers aren't at all clued up on fire doors so only buy from suppliers that will provide the correct installation instructions and product data sheets. Fire doors are life safety devices so don't take chances.

Hi Tq, Tom is correct sometimes seals are concealed but you should check with the door manufacturer and the seal manufacturer because different types and sizes of seals react to intense heat at varying degrees of temperature and at varying rates of expansion. You can buy seals from some manufacturers in varying colours and veneer finishes to compliment the door or frame decoration.

Hi Louise, You are correct a fire door (unless a FIRE DOOR KEEP LOCKED cupboard or store type door) must have a self- closer and replacing a floor spring with a BS1154 compliant Fire Door overhead self-closer is fine (consider direction of travel if on an escape route though). However I would recommend consulting an FDIS qualified inspector/installer for guidance on how the work should be carried out in order to make sure you finish up with a compliant fire resisting door assembly, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places an obligation on the Responsible Person to ensure fire safety devices are fit for purpose and that Competent Persons are consulted as necessary. Hope this helps, kind regards Neil.

Hi TomLon, Many doors have the old colour coded plugs and you are right they enable identification as to the fire rating and whether it is necessary to fit intumescent seals (some doors have them already fitted concealed behind the lippings at the vertical edges). For more information you could try http://www.bwfcertifire.org.uk/publications/fact-cards and www.fdis.co.uk Generally these days most FD30 doors should be fitted with 15mm intumescent fire seals (with smoke seals if FD30s) but older doors like yours may have been tested with 10mm seals. Its important to understand how fire doors should be installed and I would recommend consulting a qualified person and/or finding out more information at the websites above. You should also read BS 8214:2008 Code of practice for fire door assemblies. Kind regards, Neil Ashdown CertFDI

Third party certificated fire door (and fire door-set) manufacturers and installers belonging to the BM TRADA Q Mark fire door scheme use coloured plugs to indicate fire door types and ratings. The plug also carries a number that by referencing to BM TRADA can be traced to the manufacturer. Other third party schemes such as BWF-Certifire and IFC use labels attached to the top edge of the door and head of the door frame. Regards, Neil Ashdown CertFDI Fire door inspector

Just to say I agree with Tom. I work as a fire door inspector and receive this type of query sometimes and I always urge building operators (where they have engaged a professional for fire safety advice) to ask them to back-up their recommendations with references to legislation and best practice guidance documents particular to the matter in question. Having the relevant information will help you in the decisions you have to make. Regards, Neil Ashdown CertFDI