Fire doors are one of the most important safety products in any building and one of the most widely misunderstood. They exist to hold back fire, smoke and toxic gases long enough for people to get out and for the fire and rescue service to arrive. Get one wrong and it does not fail slowly, it fails at the worst possible moment.
Doors2Floors has supplied doors and flooring to homes and businesses across the UK. We list fire doors, made up of FD30 fire doors, FD60 fire doors and glazed fire doors. This guide explains what a fire door is, where one is required, what ours actually cost, and how to keep an installation compliant for its whole working life.
What a fire door actually is
The first thing to understand is that a fire door is not a door. It is an assembly, and every part of it is doing a job.
The rating system
FD30 and FD60 are the two ratings you will meet most often in UK buildings. The number refers to the period of fire resistance in minutes achieved under test conditions. FD90 and above exist but are specialist.
The rating applies to the whole assembly
Leaf, frame, intumescent seals, hinges, latch, closer and any glazing are tested together. Swap one certified component for a non certified one and the rating no longer applies to your door.
Core construction
A fire door leaf has a dense engineered core, commonly a solid particle or flaxboard core, with facings and hardwood lippings. An FD30 leaf is usually 44mm thick and an FD60 leaf usually 54mm. Our fire door materials guide covers construction in depth.
Intumescent seals
A strip fitted into a groove in the leaf edge or the frame that expands many times its original volume when heated, sealing the gap between leaf and frame. Our LPD Brown Bladed Dual Seal is £10.11.
Cold smoke seals
A brush or fin, often combined with the intumescent strip, that restricts smoke movement at ordinary temperatures, before the intumescent has activated. Smoke kills more people than flame. Our LPD White Fire and Smoke Intumescent Seal is £8.85.
Where smoke seals are required
A door specified with smoke control is often written FD30S or FD60S. Whether you need the S depends on the location and is set out in the guidance for your nation.
Fire rated hinges
Three hinges as a minimum, correctly rated and CE or UKCA marked. Our Atlantic Grade 7 fire rated ball bearing hinges are £14.50 a pair, and we list fire rated hinges.
Self closing devices
Most fire doors must close themselves fully and latch every time. A closer is not optional decoration. Our Atlantic Premium Grade Satin Nickel Door Closer is £103.35.
Latches and locks
The door has to be held closed against pressure. A door that swings shut but does not latch is not doing its job. Our locks and latches include fire rated options.
The frame is part of the door
Frame material, section size and the fire stopping between frame and structure all matter. Our internal frames cover the options.
Certification labelling
Look for a label or a colour coded plug in the top or hinge edge of the leaf. If there is nothing, treat the door as unverified until you can prove otherwise.
The UK regulatory landscape
Fire safety in the UK is layered. Building regulations govern how you build, and fire safety legislation governs how you then manage the building. Both are devolved.
England and Wales building guidance
Fire safety in building work is covered by Part B of the Building Regulations, with practical guidance in Approved Document B. Volume 1 covers dwellings and Volume 2 covers buildings other than dwellings. Wales publishes its own version.
Scotland
Scotland uses the Building Standards system, with fire covered in Section 2 of the Domestic and Non Domestic Technical Handbooks.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland uses Technical Booklet E for fire safety.
Fire safety legislation for occupied buildings
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 places duties on a responsible person for non domestic premises and the common parts of blocks of flats. The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022 added further duties, particularly for higher risk residential buildings. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent regimes.
Test standards
Fire doors are tested to BS 476 Part 22 or to the European standard BS EN 1634-1. Both are recognised. Ask which standard a door was tested to and keep the evidence.
Third party certification schemes
Schemes such as those run by BM TRADA and BWF certify manufacturers and, in some cases, installers. Third party certification is not legally mandatory in every situation but it is what most specifiers and insurers now expect.
Why we are not printing a compliance table
Fire safety requirements have changed significantly in recent years and continue to change. Anything we print here would eventually be wrong, and a wrong figure in this subject area is not a minor problem. Confirm the current requirements for your specific building with your building control body or your fire risk assessor.
Who is responsible
In a non domestic building or the common parts of a block of flats there is a legally defined responsible person. In a private house, the homeowner carries the practical responsibility and the building control requirement at the point of any building work.
Where fire doors are required
This is the question we are asked most often. The answers below are the common triggers, not a substitute for advice on your specific building.
Two storey houses
A standard two storey house usually needs a fire door only between the house and an integral garage, if there is one.
Three storeys and above
Once a home has three or more storeys, the stairway normally becomes a protected escape route and the doors opening onto it are typically required to be fire doors with self closing devices.
Loft conversions
Adding a habitable loft room is the single most common reason an ordinary house suddenly needs fire doors, because it usually creates a third storey. Your building control body will confirm exactly which doors are affected.
Integral garages
The door between a dwelling and an attached or integral garage is normally required to be fire rated and self closing, and often needs a step or a threshold detail as well.
Flats and apartment blocks
Flat entrance doors and doors in common corridors and stairways are subject to specific requirements that have tightened considerably. These are almost always controlled by the building owner or managing agent, not the individual leaseholder.
Houses in multiple occupation
HMOs typically need fire doors to bedrooms, kitchens and escape routes, with the exact schedule set by the licensing conditions and the fire risk assessment.
Commercial premises
Offices, shops, warehouses and industrial buildings all rely on compartmentation, and fire doors are how compartment lines are maintained where people need to pass through.
Schools and educational buildings
High occupancy and evacuation planning make fire doors central, and hold open devices are extremely common because of traffic volumes.
Healthcare and care settings
Progressive horizontal evacuation strategies depend entirely on compartmentation. Free swing closers are widely used so that doors are usable by residents but still self closing on alarm.
Hotels and guest accommodation
Bedroom doors onto corridors are normally fire doors with smoke seals and self closing devices.
Basements and cellars
Converting a basement into habitable space commonly triggers fire door and escape requirements.
Garden rooms and outbuildings
Separation from the main dwelling and proximity to boundaries can bring fire requirements into play in ways people do not expect.
Fire doors room by room in a UK home
Walking a house door by door makes the requirement far easier to picture than a list of regulation clauses.
The front door
In a house, the front door is an external door and is not usually a fire door. In a flat, the entrance door almost always is, and it is normally the building owner who controls it. Our external doors cover the house case.
The garage door into the house
The classic domestic fire door. Petrol, oil, batteries and vehicles all live on the other side of it, which is exactly why it is specified.
Doors onto the stairs
In a three storey house these become the doors that protect your escape route. Every habitable room opening onto the stair is normally affected.
The loft room door
The new door created by a loft conversion is almost always a fire door with a self closing device.
The kitchen door
Historically often specified in older guidance, and still commonly required in HMOs and flats. In a standard modern house it usually is not, unless it opens onto a protected stair.
Bedroom doors
Ordinary doors in a two storey house, fire doors in a three storey house where they open onto the protected stair. Compare our shaker doors and cottage doors for matching styles.
The under stairs cupboard
Frequently overlooked, and frequently full of the exact things you would not want burning inside a protected stairway.
Basement and cellar doors
A converted basement usually needs both a fire door and a considered escape route.
Utility rooms and boiler cupboards
Depends on the appliance and the layout. Never block ventilation serving a gas or solid fuel appliance in the process of fire separating a space, and speak to a registered engineer.
Doors to integral offices and annexes
Converting a garage or outbuilding into habitable space frequently brings fire separation requirements with it.
Room dividers and open plan spaces
Open plan layouts can complicate escape routes considerably, especially where a stair rises through an open plan floor. Our room dividers and bi-fold doors are not fire rated products.
Pocket and sliding doors
Fire rated sliding and pocket arrangements exist but are specialist. Our pocket doors and sliding door kits are for non rated applications.
FD30 compared with FD60
Choosing between the two is not a matter of preference. It is specified.
What FD30 gives you
Thirty minutes of fire resistance under test conditions. This is the standard rating for domestic use, including most loft conversions and garage doors.
What FD60 gives you
Sixty minutes. Typically required in higher risk situations, larger buildings, and where compartment lines demand it.
Physical differences
An FD60 leaf is thicker and considerably heavier, usually 54mm against 44mm. That extra weight affects hinge selection, closer power and frame fixing.
Cost difference in our range
Our cheapest FD30 leaf is the LPD Smooth Cottage White Primed at £94.50. Our cheapest FD60 leaves are the Deanta Ely White Primed at £298.50 and the Deanta Seville White Primed at £298.50.
Do not upgrade or downgrade on a guess
Fitting FD60 where FD30 is specified is not automatically better, because the extra weight and thickness change the frame, hardware and opening requirements. Fitting FD30 where FD60 is specified is a compliance failure.
Who decides
Your building control body, your fire risk assessor or your designer. Not the retailer, and not an article.
Types of fire door we supply
Real products with real prices, so you can budget properly rather than working from invented industry averages.
Budget white primed FD30
The LPD Smooth Cottage White Primed fire door is £94.50 and needs decorating after fitting. Our white primed doors include matching non fire doors so the landing looks consistent.
Fully finished laminate FD30
The LPD Sydney Fully Finished Laminated White fire door is £123.50. Laminate is hard wearing and needs no decoration. See our laminated doors.
Flush contemporary FD30
The Deanta Flush Light Grey Ash Vertical Inlay fire door is £190.00. Compare with our grey doors.
Black FD30
The Deanta Clarendon Black fire door is £261.75 and the Deanta Trinity Black fire door is £297.00. Our black doors cover the non rated equivalents.
Oak FD60
The Deanta Seville Fully Finished Oak FD60 is £327.00, matching our oak doors.
White primed FD60
The LPD Vancouver Primed White FD60 is £378.06.
Glazed fire doors
Vision panels reduce collision risk in corridors and bring light into dark landings. The LPD Vancouver Charcoal Black Long Light Glazed fire door is £625.95. Browse all glazed fire doors.
Glazing must be certified too
Only glass and beading tested as part of the door assembly can be used. You cannot glaze a fire door on site with ordinary glass. Our glazed doors include non rated alternatives where no rating is needed.
Doorsets compared with individual leaves
A complete certified doorset arrives as a matched leaf, frame and hardware package and removes most of the risk of an incompatible combination. Buying a leaf alone puts the responsibility for compatibility on whoever assembles the opening.
Matching the rest of the house
Fire doors come in the same styles as ordinary doors, so a compliant landing does not have to look institutional. Compare with our fully finished doors and unfinished doors.
Budgeting for a compliant opening
The leaf is rarely the largest line on the bill. Work out the whole opening before you set a budget.
The leaf
From £94.50 for a basic white primed FD30 in our range, up to £625.95 for a fully finished glazed model.
Hinges
Three fire rated hinges per door. Our fire rated ball bearing hinges are £14.50 a pair, so budget for two pairs per door and keep the spare.
Seals
Intumescent and combined fire and smoke seals from £8.85 per set in our range.
Closer
From around £103.35 for a premium grade overhead closer. Cheaper closers exist but a closer that fails is a compliance problem.
Latch or lock
Depends on the door function. Our locks and latches and door hardware products cover the range.
Handles
Fire door handles must be suitable for the application and correctly fixed. Our handle packs and door handles cover the choice.
Frame and architrave
Frame from our internal frames plus architrave sets to finish.
Fitting labour
Fire door installation is skilled work and should be priced as such. A cheap fit on a certified door is false economy.
Signage
Common areas and held open doors normally need appropriate signage. Your fire risk assessment will specify it.
Inspection and maintenance
An ongoing cost in regulated buildings, not a one off. Budget for it from the start.
Installation, gaps and certification
A perfect door fitted badly is not a fire door. Installation is where most failures are found.
Gap tolerances
The perimeter gap between leaf and frame is tightly specified, commonly quoted as around 3mm with a small tolerance. The threshold gap is different and larger. Always work to the figures in your own door certification rather than a number from an article.
Why gaps matter so much
Too large and the intumescent cannot bridge it in time. Too small and the door binds, and a binding door gets propped open.
Fire stopping around the frame
The void between the frame and the structural opening must be filled with an appropriate fire stopping material. Ordinary expanding foam is usually not acceptable.
Fixings
Frame fixings must be of the type, size and spacing set out in the certification. This is not a place to improvise.
Trimming the leaf
Certified doors state a maximum amount that may be removed from each edge, and it is small. Exceeding it voids the rating. Our planing guide is for ordinary doors only.
Hardware preparation
Mortices for latches and locks must fall within the tested arrangement. Random extra holes are a defect.
Documentation
Keep the certificate, the installation instructions and photographs of the label. This is what proves compliance later.
Handover and records
In a regulated building this feeds the fire safety information handed to the responsible person. In a house it is what you hand to a buyer.
Use a competent installer
Third party certified installers exist for exactly this reason, and using one materially reduces your risk.
Keeping fire doors compliant
Fire doors fail over time through ordinary wear and ordinary human behaviour. Regular checking catches it.
Check the gaps
Consistent all round, matching the certification. Uneven gaps usually mean the door has dropped.
Check the seals
Continuous, undamaged and never painted over. Replace damaged seals promptly.
Check the hinges
All screws present, tight and correct. Missing hinge screws are one of the most common findings at inspection.
Check the closer
The door must close fully and latch from any opening angle. Our fire door slamming guide explains safe closer adjustment.
Check for wedges and props
If a door is repeatedly wedged, fix the underlying reason with a proper hold open device rather than repeating the instruction not to wedge it.
Check for unauthorised alterations
Cat flaps, extra letter plates, cable penetrations and drilled holes are all serious defects.
Check the leaf for damage
Loose lippings, delamination and deep gouges all compromise the door.
Check the glazing and beads
Cracked glass or loose beads on a glazed fire door need immediate attention.
Check the signage
Present, correct and legible, where your fire risk assessment requires it.
Record what you find
Dated records with photographs are what demonstrate a managed building.
Act on defects promptly
A recorded defect that is never remedied is worse than no record at all.
Fire doors for landlords, managing agents and facilities managers
Managing fire doors across a portfolio is a different problem from fitting one at home. The failures are the same, but the scale and the accountability are not.
Start with the fire risk assessment
The assessment defines which doors matter, what they need and how often they are checked. Everything else follows from it.
Build a door register
Every fire door numbered, located, photographed and linked to its certification evidence. Retrofitting this is tedious but it is the foundation of everything.
Set an inspection frequency
High traffic communal doors need checking far more often than a door into a plant room. Frequency should be risk based, not uniform.
Train the people who see the doors daily
Cleaners and caretakers spot wedged doors and missing hinge screws long before an annual inspection does.
Deal with the wedging problem properly
If a door is wedged every day there is a reason. Fit an electromagnetic hold open device or a free swing closer and remove the temptation.
Keep a stock of consumables
Seals, hinge screws and signage are cheap. Our seals from £8.85 and fire rated hinges are the sort of items worth holding.
Plan for closers failing
Closers are the component most likely to fail in service. Holding a spare avoids a door being left uncontrolled for weeks.
Control what tenants and staff fit
Cat flaps, extra locks, coat hooks screwed into the leaf and letter plate changes are all common and all defects.
Handle refurbishment carefully
Redecoration is when seals get painted, gaps get filled and labels get covered. Brief the contractor specifically.
Budget for replacement cycles
Doors in heavy traffic wear out. Our range starts at £94.50 for an FD30 leaf, which makes planned replacement far cheaper than reactive remediation.
Keep evidence, not opinions
Dated photographs, certificates and completed inspection sheets are what stand up. Recollection does not.
Get specialist advice
For anything beyond routine, use a competent fire door inspector and take advice from your fire risk assessor. Our fire doors and clearance doors cover the supply side, but the assessment is not something a supplier can do for you.
Common misunderstandings
These come up constantly and each one has caused real problems.
A heavy door is a fire door
Weight alone proves nothing. Look for the certification label and the intumescent seals.
A fire door closer reacts to heat
It does not. It closes the door every time it is opened, in normal conditions. Only hold open devices release, and they respond to the alarm.
Painting the door is fine
Decorating the leaf is normally acceptable within the certification limits, but never paint over intumescent or smoke seals. Our painting guide covers method, and our painted door maintenance guide covers upkeep.
Any hinge will do
No. Fire rated hinges are specified for a reason and there must normally be three.
I can swap the handle for one I prefer
Only for one suitable for the application and compatible with the certified arrangement.
Fire doors have to look ugly
They do not. Our range covers oak, walnut, black, grey, white primed and laminate finishes.
An old fire door is still a fire door
Only if it is undamaged, correctly hung, correctly sealed and closing properly. Age itself is not the issue, condition is.
A fire door stops fire
It resists fire for a defined period. It buys time, it does not make a room fireproof.
Building control signed it off, so it is fine forever
Sign off covers the installation. Keeping it compliant is an ongoing duty.
Smoke seals are optional extras
Where the specification calls for smoke control, they are part of the requirement, not an upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need fire doors in my house
Most two storey homes only need one between the house and an integral garage. Three storeys, loft conversions and basement conversions usually need more. Confirm with building control.
What is the difference between FD30 and FD60
Thirty minutes against sixty minutes of tested fire resistance, and a thicker, heavier leaf.
What does the S mean in FD30S
Smoke control, meaning cold smoke seals are included in the specification.
Can I fit a fire door myself
Legally you may in your own home, but the gaps, fixings, hardware and fire stopping all have to be right. Most people are better served by a competent installer.
How do I know if a door is a fire door
Certification label or colour plug in the top or hinge edge, intumescent seals in the edge grooves, a thicker leaf, three hinges and usually a closer.
Do all fire doors need a closer
Most do. There are limited situations where a self closing device is not required, and that is a question for your building control body or fire risk assessor.
Can a fire door be glazed
Yes, with certified glass and beading tested as part of the assembly. Never glazed on site with ordinary glass.
Can I trim a fire door to fit
Only within the small allowance stated in its certification.
How often should fire doors be inspected
In regulated buildings, routinely and on a documented schedule set by the fire risk assessment. At home, a five minute check twice a year is sensible.
Are fire doors required in rented houses
It depends on the property type and whether it is an HMO. Check the licensing conditions and the fire risk assessment.
What happens if a fire door is not compliant
In regulated premises it is an enforcement matter for the responsible person. In a home it can affect insurance and will be picked up at sale.
Do fire doors help with sound
A dense core does reduce airborne sound, which is a useful side effect rather than a specification. Our acoustic wall panels address rooms rather than doors.
Can I use a fire door as an ordinary internal door
Yes, and some people do for the solidity and sound reduction. It is heavier and more expensive than it needs to be for that job.
Where do I start
Confirm the requirement with building control, then browse our fire doors and read our fire door materials guide.
Bringing it together
A fire door is an assembly, not a slab of timber. The rating belongs to the whole thing, so the leaf, frame, seals, hinges, latch, closer and glazing all have to match the certification and all have to stay in good order. Where fire doors are required is set by the building regulations guidance for your nation and, once the building is occupied, by fire safety legislation and the fire risk assessment. Confirm the requirement first, buy a certified assembly, have it fitted by someone competent, keep the paperwork, and check it twice a year.
Start with our FD30 doors, FD60 doors and glazed fire doors, and read our fire door slamming guide for closer adjustment. For the rest of the house, our internal doors, door choosing guide and measuring guide are the natural next steps.
Solid leaf or glazed leaf?
A solid leaf is the simplest way to meet a rating and the cheapest to specify. Where an inner hall or landing needs borrowed light, a certified glazed leaf carries the same rating using fire rated glass and the correct beading. Compare internal solid fire doors with internal glazed fire doors.
Choosing the finish and the fittings
Certification does not limit you to a plain white leaf. The same ratings are available in white fire doors, grey fire doors, black fire doors, oak fire doors and walnut fire doors, so the doors that regulations require can still match the rest of the house. Remember that the leaf is only part of the assembly: budget for intumescent strips and pads on every certified opening, and for a correctly sized door closer wherever the door has to self-close.
Prices are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. This article is general guidance and is not a fire risk assessment, a specification or a compliance document. Fire safety and building regulation requirements vary by property type and by nation within the UK and are revised periodically. Always confirm your obligations with your local building control body, your fire risk assessor, or another competent professional before specifying, buying or altering any fire door.