A fire door is a door set, not just a door. The leaf, the frame, the hinges, the seals and the closer all have to work together, and one wrong part means it will not hold back fire and smoke for the time it is rated for. A certified door that is hung badly can fail, so the fitting matters as much as the door.
When a landlord needs fire doors
In flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), fire doors are normally required on bedrooms, kitchens and the doors onto the escape route, which is usually the hallway and stairs. Shared areas of flats come under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and HMO licences from the local council set out what each property needs. In a single let family house the rules are lighter. A loft conversion changes that, because Building Regulations then usually need fire resisting doors onto the stairs so they become a protected escape route.
If you are unsure what your property needs, your council's HMO team or a fire risk assessment will tell you. Once you know which doors need upgrading, the fitting is where we come in.
What makes an FD30 door work
FD30 means the door set has been tested to hold back fire for 30 minutes. To keep that rating once it is in your house, these details matter:
- A certified door leaf, with its label or plug still in the top or hinge edge so an inspector can see it.
- A frame or lining that is solid and fixed properly, not a hollow lining with gaps behind it.
- Three fire rated hinges, fixed with the right length screws.
- Intumescent strips, with smoke seals where the property needs them. These swell in heat and close the gap round the door.
- Even gaps round the door, usually around 3mm and under 4mm on the sides and top. Big gaps let smoke and fire through before the strips do their job.
- A self closer that shuts the door fully onto the latch from any open position.
- Fire rated ironmongery, including the latch and handles, and no unsealed letter plates or spy holes cut in afterwards.
The mistakes that fail inspections
The common problems are simple. A door trimmed too much at the bottom to clear new carpet. Gaps that taper from 2mm to 8mm down one side. A closer that is fitted but adjusted so weak it leaves the door ajar. Strips painted over so thickly they cannot expand. Old hinges reused from the previous door. Each one is small, and each one can mean the door set no longer does its job.
Upgrade or replace?
An old panelled door cannot become a certified fire door. Upgrade products exist for some period doors, but they need specialist advice and your council or assessor to accept them. A newer solid door sometimes looks the part but without a certificate there is no way to prove it. In practice, a certified leaf hung in a sound existing frame, with new hinges, strips and a closer, is the usual answer. Where the frame is weak or out of square, a new lining is fitted first so the gaps come out right.
Getting it done
We fit FD30 doors in rented properties across Exeter, Tiverton and Cullompton. See our carpentry and joinery work or get in touch with the number of doors and a couple of photos for a price.
Common questions
- Can I paint a fire door?
- Usually yes, with normal paint, but check the door maker's instructions and keep paint off the intumescent strips and smoke seals so they can still work in a fire.
- Do fire doors need a self closer?
- Fire doors on escape routes in flats and HMOs normally need one, and it has to close the door fully onto the latch from any open position.
- How often should fire doors be inspected?
- Your fire risk assessment sets the interval. In England, blocks of flats over 11 metres must have communal fire doors checked every three months and flat entrance doors every year. For smaller lets, checking at each change of tenant is a sensible habit.
- How big should the gaps round a fire door be?
- Usually around 3mm and less than 4mm on the sides and top, kept even all the way round. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the exact figure.