Neil Ashdown MAFDI

The Building Regulations are clear. Performance of Fire Doors should be in accordance with the tests BS 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1 and the Building Regulations also state that the test evidence applies to the 'complete installed assembly'. Therefore the fire door installed at your house should be compliant with the relevant fire performance test for that particular door leaf. The door leaf manufacturer will be able to provide a data sheet showing the installation requirements including all ironmongery, intumescent seals and fire stopping around the frame at its junction with the supporting wall. Only doors installed in compliance with the fire performance test evidence are acceptable. If the fire door is not installed in this way, what evidence is there that it will provide the required fire separation performance?

IF IT IS a fire door then it is required to self-close fully to the rebate stop of the door frame. The self-closing action must overcome any resistance from the latch bolt, the latch keep or strike, the smoke seals and any floor covering. Failure to do so is clearly a breach of the Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005. The fact that the building is Grade II listed makes no difference. There should be a fire risk assessment and a fire strategy. If, as part of the fire strategy, that door is intended to be a fire door then it must self-close correctly.

There are security devices that lock the escape door but they release the lock automatically when the push bar or push pad is operated. Have a look at 'Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors' at http://www.firecode.org.uk/ Section 12, sub-sections 12.3.4 and 12.3.5 on pages 103 / 104 of the document cover this subject.

When replacing a fire door leaf the hinges and screws should be replaced at the same time. Hinges are subject to a lot of stress due to the weight of the door and pressure from the self closing device and therefore wear out much sooner. Replace with fire rated CE marked to BS EN 1935 steel or brass hinges with a durability grade 13 or 14. If the doors are FD60 they should have intumescent gaskets between each blade and the timber frame and door edge. Caution: You get what you pay for and do make sure the correct screws are used and that they are a secure fit in their fixing holes!!!

The important thing is that the installer is competent. Ask the installation company what reference documents they use and what standards they work to when installing fire doors and also what training the installers have received. Personally, if they are not familiar with 'BS 8214 : 2016 Timber based fire door assemblies Code of practice' and the GAI / DHF guidance document 'Hardware for Fire & Escape Doors' I would not employ them. Some clients are now requesting, as a condition, that the installation company provides a report by a competent third party confirming that the fire doors have been installed correctly. Third party accredited installation companies have their quality management systems audited periodically, their managers receive training and some of their work is subject to inspection by the scheme provider. FENSA, to the best of my knowledge, do not operate a third party certification scheme for installation of fire doors. Their have been numerous reports about poor quality and non compliant fire door installation work so remember, competence is king.

HI Rachel, Seek advice from a certificated fire door inspector. You can find your local one at www.fdis.co.uk/inspector

Hi Charles, I would ask for documentary evidence in support of their claim that the fire door would now fail to provide the required level of fire and smoke separation protection because of the damage caused by your son and his mates.

Hi Digger, There is no document that gives definitive advice about which doors need to be fire doors. Building regulations (part B - Fire safety) and guidance documents for blocks of flats / sleeping accommodation provide information specific to the building type. You need to carry out a fire risk assessment for the building. That will identify which doors are required to protect escape routes or are required for another risk based reason. If the kitchen presents a risk to the safety of the users of the building in terms of fire and smoke spread then the door needs to be a suitable and effective fire resisting door.

Laminate faced timber-based fire doors are available from many fire door suppliers. Sometimes this is for decorative purposes and sometimes for impact protection in which case edge protection and frame protection products are also available.

Hi Simon, You don't say if they are timber or metal doors. I am assuming they are timber based doors, yes they must self-close and the best solution is to use floor springs and pivots. There's more information in the Code of Practice: Hardware for Fire and Escape doors at http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf

Hi Linda, Guidance in BS 8214 and BS 9999 recommends six monthly inspections. You should have carried out your own fire risk assessment and formed a fire strategy and this will identify the most critical fire doors. From there you can decide if some doors need to be inspected more or less often. Justify your decision in your fire risk assessment. The relevant legislation is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 more info at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made

Hi Mark, Find out if a fire risk assessment has been carried out. If it has ask for a copy because this document should identify fire related risks for that particular building and therefore enable the building operator to prioritize fire safety works. If there's no fire risk assessment advise your client to get one done by a suitably qualified person. The law that applies is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and from what you say it seems like your client may need assistance in complying with the legislation. Health care buildings have the benefit of purpose-made guidance documents called Healthcare Technical Memorandums such as HTM05 for fire safety and HTM 58 for doors. Check them out.

Hi Fiona, A competent craftsman could make an excellent high quality door in his workshop but the problem with making a fire door from scratch is that there will be no evidence of fire separation performance. In the case of fire doors in the UK the manufacturer must be able to provide evidence of performance (in accordance with BS 476 part 22 and/or BS EN 1634) for the products supplied. No inspector of any flavour can provide fire performance product certification, only a certification body can do this and they can do so only against suitable evidence of performance. However, if using a fire door blank the blank manufacturer will be able to provide a copy of the fire performance test report for the product as well as the relevant assessment report. They will also be able to provide instructions for sizing, machining, gluing and lipping the fire door blank as well as details about the door hardware, seals and other components to be used with the fire door assembly. These instructions must be carefully followed and the installation must be in accordance with those instructions too. If your carpenter works with fire doors then he will also possess the latest version of BS 8214 code of practice for timber based fire doors, this document provides important information about installation and any installer, maintainer or inspector should have a copy. Best to check all of this before proceeding because most of all you need your fire doors at your buildings to be fit for purpose. A certificated fire door inspector will be able to offer advice and inspect the finished installed product but the first thing he will look for is suitable evidence of performance. He can provide an inspection report identifying the fire doors as compliant with current standards........or not should he detect any defects or non-compliance. If he finds any non-compliance his inspection report will detail the necessary remedial action BUT no inspector can provide fire performance product certification, only a certification body can do this and then only against suitable evidence of performance. As we have seen in the media many fire doors are non-compliant due to lack of knowledge amongst specifiers, suppliers, installers and building inspectors. I hope this info helps and that the project goes smoothly.

Hi Fiona, You don't say how your carpenter will be making the fire doors. Will he be using a fire door blank from a fire door blank manufacturer or making the doors up from scratch using loose timber?

Generally you should use the screws that are supplied with the fire rated hinges. Some timber fire door cores. though, such as Graduated Density Chipboard require larger screws. Consult a fire door inspector if you are unsure.

Cold smoke separation will likely be an issue where a fire door opens onto a staircase. Ensure your fire risk assessment addresses fire and cold smoke separation issues before making a decision about the requirements for the door.

When selecting a self-closing device for a fire door consult the document 'Hardware for Fire and Escape Doors' at http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf Also be mindful that concealed self-closing devices are not suitable for some type of timber based fire doors. It depends on core construction.

There's no legislation on whether the self-closer is fitted outside or inside. The usual reasons are because there's no room on the inside (because of a bulkhead for example) or because the building owner/operator wants to check each door has a self-closer without having to look inside each flat. Generally overhead self-closing devices work better fitted to the inside.

The guidance document 'Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats' by the Local Government Association covers this subject.

What you should do is..............Inform the residents about the importance of self-closing fire doors with effective smoke seals. Inspections by FDIS inspectors have shown these to be common faults and a recent inspection for a housing association found 57% of newly installed fire doors were non compliant on these issues alone. If you need help,let me know.

Intumescent gaskets placed behind the hinge blades will limit heat transfer from the metal hinge to the timber door and frame. They are required for FD60 door installations and sometimes for FD30. Always use the correct type, size and number of screws, its those little fellas that hold the door in its frame!

The gap at the bottom of the fire door is important. If the gap is too large, the issue is 1) That cold-smoke may spread from the fire side and 2) That cold air from the non fire side may be drawn under the door and feed the fire to aid its development. The maximum gap allowed for a fire door is generally 10mm between the door bottom edge and the floor covering. The maximum gap for a fire door with smoke protection is 3mm but if this is not possible a gap of up to 10mm is permissible with the use of a smoke seal to seal the gap at the door bottom edge. The easiest way to achieve the above is to use a hardwood threshold strip, that way you can get a consistent gap as well as avoid the door sticking on the carpet and failing to self-close.

When we use the word 'door' in terms of fire doors we mean the complete installed door assembly. An FD60 is very different to an FD30 door in terms of the quality of the components that make up the assembly. In order to upgrade fire separation protection from 30 to 60 minutes it will be necessary to upgrade the entire fire door assembly.

If it is a fire door in a common area to provide fire and smoke separation then under Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the landlord / building operator has a duty to ensure that the fire door is ‘subject to a suitable system of maintenance and maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair’. This means the ‘Responsible Person’ under the Order has a duty to ensure the door will provide sufficient protection to contain the fire and smoke so as to ensure the safety of persons in or around the building in the event of a fire.

The answer is maybe not! I am assuming the doors are timber based? Not all fire doors are suitable for glazing and all fire doors will have limitations to the amount of FR glass permitted. Other issues are margins from edge of door to glass panel and margins between glass panels. If you still wish to proceed with glazing you are well advised to consult a fire door expert who can assess the door's suitability for glazing and provide a specification for glazing it.