Fire doors create a barrier from fire and toxic cold smoke and prevent it from travelling around a building, keeping the damage to a small area, allowing for evacuation, stay put and safe access for emergency services.
All the below components play a critical role in fire performance. Always check the fire door certificate for compatible specification.
In a block of flats you will find fire doors on the stairwells, the corridors and on the flat front doors. You will also see them protecting areas where there’s a risk of combustion, such as bin storage or mains electricity service cupboard. Sometimes you will find fire doors inside flats, but this depends on the specific design and layout of the individual flat.
Fire doors in common areas of the building (corridors and stairwell and service rooms) will have blue signage on the door. Flat front doors and those inside individual flats do not require signage.
A fire door only works if it’s installed correctly with the compatible components like ironmongery, seals and frame.
Your landlord / freeholder will have legal responsibility for the fire doors in the common areas of the building.
You should seek fire safety information from your landlord / freeholder regarding the specific fire plan for your building to ensure you are prepared in an emergency.
It’s vital it works properly when a fire breaks out, as it forms part of the critical Means of Escape route, so it’s important that your flat front door is a fire door, it is fit for purpose and can be regularly inspected and maintained.
If you are a leasehold tenant, you should examine the details of your lease contract and consult the landlord / freeholder. You may find that you have responsibility to ensure that a suitable fire rated door with all of its compatible components is fitted.
The majority of fire doors, especially those on flat front doors, corridors and stairwells will have cold smoke seals. You can see these seals because they are either separate from or combined with the intumescent seal. They look like a brush or a plastic fin.
All fire doors in common areas of the building and flat front doors (corridors and stairwells) must have appropriate fire rated door closers fitted.
The closers must be adjusted correctly to ensure the opening and closing forces are correct and that the door can be operated easily. Regular inspection and maintenance is required to ensure these components work correctly. Otherwise, you risk door closers being damaged or disengaged, so they won’t work when needed.
Door closers on flat front doors should only be fitted to the interior side of the door to prevent vandalism and to allow for the door to be correctly adjusted when the closer is fitted.
Here are five basic checks that you can do on your fire doors. Although they cannot replace a full inspection by a qualified specialist, they can highlight any immediate issues.
Certification
Look for a label or plug on top (or occasionally on the side) of the door. Without a certification mark, you cannot be sure this really is a fire door. Use a mirror or the selfie function on your camera phone.
Gaps
Check the gaps around the top and sides of the door are consistently less than 4mm when the door’s closed. The gap under the door can be slightly larger (up to 8mm), but it does depend on the door. Ideally, you should not see light under the door. Use a £1 coin to get a feel for scale – it’s about 3mm thick.
Seals
Look for any intumescent seals around the door or frame. Check they’re intact with no sign of damage. These seals expand when heated and help stop fire and smoke passing through gaps.
Hinges
Check all hinges are firmly fixed (three or more), with no missing or broken screws. The door must be properly maintained to perform correctly in a fire.
Closing properly
Check the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking. A fire door only works when it’s closed. Open the door halfway, let go, and see if it closes by itself.
In the first instance, contact your landlord / freeholder or managing agent.
If you’re still concerned or don’t receive the reassurance you need, contact your local authority or fire and rescue service for advice.
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