New Regulations
In 2022, following the Grenfell enquiry, new regulations were introduced to better protect people in residential buildings and firefighters in the event of a fire breaking out. As an update to the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which came into effect on 23 January 2023, it is now a legal requirement for all multi-occupancy residential buildings over 11 metres high to install residential fire-rated doors.
What are residential fire-rated Doors?
Residential fire-rated doors must be manufactured to withstand a temperature of up to 800ºC. Fire-rated doors are thicker than standard doors because of the fire-retardant materials included in their construction.
These types of fire-rated doors are given an FD rating. The four most common FD ratings are:
- FD30. This fire door provides 30 minutes of fire resistance.
- FD60. This level of fire door provides 60 minutes of fire resistance.
- FD90. This standard of fire door provides 90 minutes of fire resistance.
- FD120. Fire doors with this FD rating provide 120 minutes of fire resistance.
Residential fire-rated doors are installed to stop the spread of smoke, gases and the fire itself, protecting residents and providing a safe route to exit the building. They are also there to keep firefighters safe during their operations at the site of a fire.
Get In Touch
For more information or to get a quote call us on 01603 552 627, email [email protected] or fill in the contact form below.
Requirements of the new regulations
The new and updated regulations also require the residential building’s responsible person to:
- Carry out checks on all residential fire-rated doors in the common areas, including self-closing devices, quarterly.
- Carry out checks on all individual flat entrance doors, including self-closing devices, annually on a best endeavour basis.
Any residential fire-rated door must be installed by a fully trained qualified installer. At J&D Carpentry Services, our fire door installation team is experienced in installing fire-rated doors and can carry out regular safety checks.
Further Requirements
These checks should be carried out by the building’s owner or the designated person responsible for the building, like a managing agent, and should include checking that:
- Each fire door closes properly in its frame.
- No changes have been made to the air transfer grille or glazing aperture. - No gaps exist between the door and its frame.
- All hinges and seals are fitted properly.
- All self-closing devices are operating properly.
- No damage to any part of the door or its self-closing device is visible, no matter the cause.
Get In Touch
If you would like to know more about either the legislation around the need for domestic fire doors or advice on having one fitted, then get in touch.
Here at J&D Carpentry, we have been fitting fire doors for a number of years now and are fully qualified to ensure your doors are fire safety compliant.
Call 01603 552 627 or Email [email protected].
