The primary reason for fire doors being installed in buildings is of course to save lives and property in the event of a fire. In 2016-17 there were 261 deaths in the UK resulting from fire. It is essential a fire door performs by  slowing the progress of a fire, so care must be taken both when purchasing, and installing fire doors.

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Fire doors can vary greatly in design from functional door blanks through to attractive solid and glazed designs. The most common type of fire door is an FD30, a fire door that will last a minimum of 30 minutes in a fire. FD60 (60 minutes) fire doors are most commonly used in commercial settings. 

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Construction of a fire door

FD30 (30 minutes) fire doors are usually 45mm thick, as opposed to the standard door thickness of 35 mm, FD60 (60 minute) fire doors most commonly used in commercial settings are normally 54mm thick. Specially constructed fire doors can have a rating of 4 hours or more.

Most fire doors have a solid core construction which can include: particleboard, chipboard, flaxboard and solid timber. The assembly of a fire door can vary greatly, some have: a timber framing around the core with a laminated veneer; others have a lipping (5-20mm thick) around the core with a veneer on top; and in some cases a plywood, veneer or MDF facing is glued on to the core without framing or lippings. There is no preferred construction method, as long as the desired fire rating is achieved.

How fire doors work?

A fire door must be fitted with approved intumescent strips which play a crucial part in achieving the fire door rating. When subjected to heat, the intumescent strips expand and seal the gap between the door edge and the frame. Intumescent seals can be fitted within the door frame or grooved into the door edge. Advice on the intumescent strips can be obtained from the test evidence report, which we can provide.

The material from which the door frame is constructed (e.g. softwood, hardwood or MDF), as well as its section sizes must comply with the required standards. Furthermore, essential hardware (ironmongery) must also have its’ own individual test evidence to show fitness for purpose.

Fire doors - proof of performance

All fire doors must have the appropriate proof of performance for the ratings they carry. This proof is obtained by subjecting the door to testing to BS 476 Part 22 or to the European equivalent BS EN 1634.