Fire doors

A fire door can resist the spread of flames and smoke for a certain amount of time, and also provide a safe means of escape. To comply with UK building regulations, it's important to be aware that some doors in your home need to be fire doors and need to meet certain standards. Here at Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery we supply a stylish range of internal fire doors, available as panelled doors  or glazed doors .

Fire doors need to be able to seal off a space in the event of a fire, while still allowing for a means of escape. They need to have been tested to prove that the particular design will work in a fire. They must be installed properly with the correct components, such as the door frame, and any essential hardware, like hinges. All parts of the door set need to comply for the fire door to work correctly.

You need to have fire doors installed in flats, houses with integral garages, large dwelling houses, loft conversions, houses with three or more storeys, and mixed use buildings. The door between a house and a garage also needs to have a step down to the garage, this protects the house from spillage of flammable liquids. Check the building regulations to find out if and where you need fire doors in your home. 

For more information see: Internal door collections - Fire doors

It's also advisable to install fire doors anywhere a fire is likely to start; kitchens, lounges with fireplaces, and any room with electrical equipment will be vulnerable to fire. They can save lives and protect property by increasing the precious time you have to escape a house fire. Many door ranges available nowadays include matching fire doors so you can be protected and still elegant. You can also get doors with fire-rated glazing panels.

Installing a fire door

Fire doors are an essential part of the fire safety of a property, so you should ensure their quality and performance will stand up by getting them installed correctly by a Certificated Fire Door Installer. If our fire doors are installed incorrectly they may only provide 5-10 minutes of fire resistance, rather than the 30 minutes they are designed for. You can look for a Certificated Fire Door Installer near you on this independent Registered Installer website.

There are a few things that it is vital to check for fire door safety. All our fire doors are rated for 30 minutes protection and are labelled to confirm this, they also come with specific installation instructions. If you have fire doors from another company ensure you check the certificate and instructions are included. You must ensure all the door hardware you intend to fit is CE marked, compatible with the certificate of the door, and firmly fitted with all screws in place. This includes any locks, hinges, latches, and closers, as well as linings, casings or frames. You must also ensure the door will close shut and onto its latch from any position after being installed. 

A fire door needs to have a smaller gap between the door and the frame than a standard door, just 2-4mm with a threshold gap that will be stated in instructions. You must also remember that a certification will be void if any pf the markings are planed off, if you trim off more than the specifications of individual doors permit, or if you cut out apertures for things such as glass panels or air grilles.

What can fire doors be made of?

Fire doors are usually constructed in a similar way as a flush door, with the door's faces sandwiching a core material. For fire doors, the faces and core will be produced and treated to resist fire. The better the door is at resisting fire the more expensive it's likely to be. Different materials can be treated and used to make fire doors, although some materials are not suitable. If they have glazing panels these must be made from fire-resistant glass. They usually have solid cores made from something like flaxboard, which is naturally fire resistant.  

The door face and core material is often treated to enhance its resistance to fire. Fire doors also need to have seals around the door leaf. These should be smoke seals, to prevent smoke passing through the gap between the door and its frame, and intumescent seals, which expand when exposed to heat. All fire doors from Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery  are rated for 30 minutes protection, which complies with current standards.