Fire doors are an essential safety feature that can help prevent the spread of fire and smoke and it’s important for landlords and business owners to ensure that their properties have fire doors that are up to the British standards. We shall discuss the importance of fire doors, the legal requirements for landlords, and a basic check that any landlord or Business owner can do to ensure that their fire doors are working properly.
So why are fire doors important? In the event of a fire, the doors containing the fire prevent it from spreading to other areas of a building of course If the door is closed in the first place and not propped open by wedges and fire extinguishers as this deems the door useless.
Fire doors are designed and certified to withstand heat and flames for a certain period of time, This could be FD (Fire Door) FD30 or FD60 or some very highly spec’d doors are 2 hours but for the environment that we ( I am a landlord also) work in 30 minutes to an hour is the time scale to look out for this which gives people time to evacuate the building and for firefighters to arrive and tackle the fire.
Fire doors also help prevent the spread of smoke, which can be just as dangerous as the fire itself. Who knew that high grade fire doors have concrete inside them to withstand the heat and that’s why they are so heavy?
Fire doors are a legal requirement in certain types of properties such as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s) and doors leading onto communal areas in flats without these doors you may not get a HMO licence from your council.
Fire Doors are not expensive!! Yes, I said it I am going to break a misconception however If you know where and how to look doors can be only a fraction more than a conventional door and for fire door quote I saw recently a quote for one door @ £1200 per door inclusive this is a door that Howdens supply for £150.00 plus the carpenters fitting of course.
Here’s a basic check that any landlord can do to ensure that their fire doors are working properly: Check for certification: Fire doors should be certified to meet the standards of the British Woodworking Federation’s (BWF) Fire Door Alliance scheme or the Door and Hardware Federation’s (DHF) Fire Door scheme.
Look for a label or certificate on the door or frame (usually the jam or the top) which should have a unique identification number and show that the door has been tested and approved to the correct standard. Check the gaps: Fire doors should fit snugly into their frames, with a gap no larger than 4mm around the edges.
- Check the gap with a ruler or use a smoke pencil to see if smoke can pass through.
- Check the seals: Fire doors should have intumescent seals around the edges, which expand in heat to seal the gaps and prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
- Check that the seals are intact and not damaged.
- Check the hinges: Fire doors should be fitted with at least three hinges that are suitable for the weight of the door.
- Check that the hinges are securely fixed and that the screws are tight.
- Check the closing mechanism: Fire doors should be self-closing and should close fully against the frame and that the latch engages properly.
Doors must not close too quickly either anything under 3 seconds from 45 degrees open to a close is classed as a “slam” and you may think why is it important being too quick, imagine an older or younger person at the top of the stairs and she or he pushes against a door it slams back fast and they end up at the bottom of the stairs it’s that serious it could also close quickly on a child’s hand etc.
If you’re unsure whether your fire doors are up to standards, it’s always best to seek advice from a qualified fire safety professional.
As fire risk assessors we don’t sell any items required if you like we are “MOT examiners” of the building to ensure fire safety and we make sure that any person within the building have the early warning of fire and smoke condition and they the ability to leave whilst the smoke heat and flames are not at a level that would deem it not possible
In Conclusion the Fire doors are an essential safety feature that can help prevent the spread of fire and smoke, and it’s important for landlords to ensure that their properties have fire doors that are up to standards. By following a basic check, landlords can ensure that their fire doors are working properly and meet the necessary safety standards. It’s important for landlords to take fire safety seriously and ensure that their properties are up to code to protect their tenants’ lives and their overall investment.
