CRF Services Ltd
Fire door fitting: what is involved
A fire door is only as good as the way it is fitted. Hung with the wrong gaps, a missing intumescent strip or a closer that does not pull it shut, an expensive fire door gives little more protection than an ordinary one. This page explains fire door fitting in general terms, so homeowners and landlords around Rochester and Medway understand what is involved. CRF Services Ltd does not hold third party fire door certification, so where a certified installation is required, for example by a fire risk assessment or a managing agent, that should be confirmed before booking.
Do I need internal fire doors?
In most ordinary two storey houses, internal fire doors are not required. They become relevant in a few common situations. When a loft conversion adds a third storey, building regulations usually require a protected escape route from the top floor, which often means fire doors onto the stairway. In flats, the front door onto a shared corridor normally needs to be a fire door. In houses in multiple occupation, a fire risk assessment or the local council's licensing standards will usually set out which doors need to be fire doors. Doors between an integral garage and the house are another common case.
If you are unsure, building control, the fire risk assessment or the managing agent is the place to check, before ordering any door.
What makes a fire door work
A fire door is a tested door set, not just a heavy door. The door leaf is rated, usually FD30 for thirty minutes, and the protection depends on the frame, hinges, gaps, seals and closer all being right together.
- Rated door leaf, labelled or plugged to show it
- Frame and stops suitable for the door's rating
- Three hinges of the right type and grade
- Intumescent strips, and smoke seals where specified
- Even gaps around the edges, typically around 3mm
- A self closer that shuts the door fully from any angle
Intumescent strips, closers and gaps
Intumescent strips sit in the edge of the door or frame and swell in heat, sealing the gap so fire cannot pass through. Smoke seals, often combined in the same strip, stop cold smoke getting through in the early stages. The gaps around a fire door matter more than on any other door: too wide and the strips cannot close them. A self closer has to pull the door fully onto its latch without slamming, and must not be wedged open. Hinges, handles and locks fitted to a fire door should be suitable for it.
Fitting and checking
Fitting involves trimming the leaf only within the limits the manufacturer allows, hanging it on the right hinges, routing the strips if they are not pre fitted, and setting the closer. The door is then checked: does it close and latch from any angle, are the gaps even, are the seals unbroken? Cutting a fire door down heavily, or adding glass or a letter plate that is not rated, can undo its rating.
Fire door fitting price
There is no fixed price here. The cost depends on the number of doors, whether the existing frame is suitable or needs replacing, whether doors are supplied pre hung as a door set, the closers and ironmongery, and how much making good is needed. Ordinary internal doors are covered on door fitting, and the wider carpentry page lists other door work. Send photos and the reason the fire door is needed, such as a loft conversion or a licensing requirement, through the contact page.
This work is part of our Carpentry service.
Common questions
Fire door fitting: what is involved questions answered
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