FD30 vs FD30S for Block of Residential Flat built in 2017-2020

[Guest KKC]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been digging through loads of documents but still can’t find a definitive answer, so I’m hoping someone here can help me, please.

I live in a flat (in a block over 11 metres tall) that was completed in 2020. On my flat entrance door, there’s a sticker showing FD30.

From what I understand — based on:
    1.    Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 1, Requirement B1, and
    2.    Approved Document B (Fire Safety), Volume 1 – 2019 Edition (effective 30 August 2019), particularly Appendix C and Table C1 —
any door in a compartment wall that separates a flat from a space in common use (like a communal corridor) should be FD30S, not just FD30.

So my question is: was it a legal requirement in 2020 for the developer to have installed an FD30S door for my flat, rather than FD30?

The reason I’m asking is that during the recent annual fire door audit, the inspector reported my door had:
    •    a closing-side gap of 6 mm, and
    •    a threshold gap of 10 mm,
which are larger than what I understand to be the FD30S tolerances (2–4 mm on the sides/top, and up to 3 mm at the bottom).

I understand that if the gap is exceeding requirement then I need to fix it, but I am confused because if they had installed it as FD30s, with the 3mm threshold requirement, it sounds a bit weird that it could widen by 7mm just over 5 years and it maybe a latent defect.

Any insight would be really appreciated — especially if anyone has experience with how this was treated in other 2017–2020 developments.

Thanks!

[Mike North]

Correct, flat doors should be FD30S, this has been the case since at least December 2018.

To comply, the head and side gaps should be 3mm ±1mm (irrespective of smoke). The threshold on a smoke door should be a maximum of 3mm.

I suspect that the door was never compliant in the first place.

[AnthonyB]

The door blank would have a FD30 sticker regardless of if it's in a FD30 or FD30S doorset as it's the addition of cold smoke seals to the frame (or door blank) that make it 's'

Do you actually have cold smoke seals on the door? Even if you do the gaps seem excessive and it's unlikely the seal will fill the gaps to touch the frame edge either.