Back to Joinery Buying Guides

Fire Door Safety Guide

With advice on product choice to keep a property safe in an emergency, this fire door safety guide includes a wealth of information on the best ways to protect homes and businesses against smoke and flames. Also covered are the strict safety standards for commercial buildings, offering advice on how to conform – from fire door choices to planning considerations. With over 45,000 fires in homes and buildings breaking out every year, this detailed joinery buying guide is crucial for protecting your home against the spread of fire and keeping businesses prepped for emergencies.

What is an FD fire rating?

An FD rating indicates the length of time a product like a doorway or hardware can protect against the spread of smoke and fire. The most commonly used are FD30, which protects for up to 30 minutes and FD60, which provides 60 minutes of protection. Some ratings, like FD30S, specifically denote smoke resistance.

FD30

Offering up to 30 minutes of protection against fire, FD30 panels are a common choice for domestic dwellings, thanks to the wide choice of styles.

See FD30 fire doors
FD60

FD60 doorways are a popular choice in commercial buildings, with a simple, sturdy build that provides up to an hour of protection against fire and smoke.

See FD60 doors

See all fire doors

Where to use in residential properties

Two levels and extensions

If a residential property rooms over two floors, including loft conversions, then FD30-rated hardware must be used between habitable rooms leading to stairwells.

Garages

Fire doorways are also required between homes and integral garages. Any entrance that leads indoors from an external building, such as a garage, requires a fire-related fixture.

Apartment entrances

Flat doorways are, by law, required to have fire-rated components. In the event of a fire, this helps slow the spread of fire and smoke from one apartment to the next.

Where to use in commercial properties

Commercial escapes

Multi-storey buildings must have sufficient stairs and alternative escape routes to avoid people being trapped. The fire exits must also be adequately sized and signposted to allow for easy evacuation.

Public passageways

By law, any rooms which connect to an exit route must be fitted with fire-rated doorsets. This is to prevent the spread of fire and smoke blocking off any escape routes, making it safer and easier to evacuate.

Oak Veneer 20g glazed - Lockable Commercial Door

Lockable doorways

Internal rooms which are required to be kept locked, such as storage cupboards, must be fitted with fire doorset assemblies. You will find this type of entry in commercial settings, schools, and offices.

Entrance widths

An 800mm minimum opening is required in commercial properties. For corridors over 1200mm, the gap needs to span at least 825mm. External exits also need to have a minimum opening of 1000mm.

Resistance

To ensure a consistent level of fire resistance is achieved in any given location, all doorway components and the joining walls must be rated at least FD60. This includes supporting fire-rated features.

Ventilation and glass

A gap of up to 3mm between is required to provide enough space for intumescent strips to expand during a fire. All glazed entrances must have safety glass fitted to meet legal specifications.