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They are legally required in all non-domestic buildings – that means places like offices, public buildings, shops and factories – as well as in multi-occupied residential properties such as blocks of flats and HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupancy). Fire doors are also required in domestic dwellings of more than three storeys.
The reason for all the regulations is because fire doors are regarded as essential passive fire safety systems that compartmentalise fire and protect escape routes.
Here at Jackson Clark we have undertaken specialised training to learn all the legal requirements pertaining to fire doors, and how to choose and fit them correctly and compliantly.
Building owners, managers, and landlords have a duty of care to ensure that they have compliant fire doors fitted in their properties, or face consequences that might even include imprisonment.
We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen and that buildings across our area of operation – Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Swindon, Cheltenham and elsewhere in the South West – are fitted with suitable fire doors.
This is where our professional help is invaluable to make sure your fire doors have sufficient fire resistance and smoke-seal capability to keep the occupants of your building safe in the event of a five.
The legal requirement for fire doors of different integrity stretches across a broad range of building areas and uses, including bin stores, substations, data centres, offices, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and doors separating different fire compartments within a building.
Various technical factors enter in to choosing the right door for the right location. Things like compartmentation design, occupancy type, escape route layout and fire risk assessment findings all play a part.
Fire doors often look like standard internal doors and are available in various woods, colours and styles. They are, however, thicker and heavier than a normal door and feature a self-closing mechanism along with various crucial safety features like intumescent strips, specific hinges and mandatory blue signage.
We can help you find a technically suitable fire door that blends with your interior design and the building aesthetic, in various materials and even with glazed panels to let light into your hallways.
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Correct fitting is as important as the specifications of the door itself. Installation must follow BS 8214:2016, the code of practice for timber-based fire door assembly, and must be carried out by trained, qualified professionals like our team here at Jackson Clark.
Every edge of the door requires intumescent strips and cold smoke seals for complete sealing, and the gap between the door leaf and frame should be between 2mm and 4mm, ideally no more than 3mm, to allow the intumescent material to activate correctly in the event of fire. All fire-rated hardware, including hinges, locks, handles and closers, must have undergone fire performance testing, and a self-closing mechanism is a standard requirement.
Ongoing maintenance of your fire door is also clearly defined in law, with scheduled fire door inspections required at various intervals depending on the use of the building. Maintenance needs to be supported by records of inspections and any repair work undertaken.
Our team of fire door experts holds recognised certification for both door installation and inspection, meaning you can count on us to meet your compliance obligations on all levels.
