The Essentials of Fire Doors in Flats
Fire doors perform a vital role within flats, slowing the passage of fire and allowing all residents to safely evacuate. There are strict building regulations governing the use of fire doors within all blocks of flats, with flat entrance doors required to offer 30 minutes of fire resistance. In this guide from Sentry Doors, a bespoke fire door manufacturer, we’ll explore the importance of fire doors, their uses within a block of flats, and where the responsibility lies for maintaining fire doors within a flat.
The Importance of Fire Doors in Flats
Fire doors will help to limit the spread of fire within a building, commonly offering either 30 or 60 minutes of fire protection, giving a crucial window of time for evacuation. Within the UK, Fire safety doors are mandated in all commercial or shared buildings, including blocks of flats. Fire doors help to contain the fire within a section of a building, and can also offer a designated escape route from the building or to an area of safety.
Fire doors in flats are subject to strict building regulations, governing fire performance and placement. Whether building a new block of flats or looking after an existing building, these standards must be met and maintained.
How Does a Fire Door Meet Building Regulations?
Fire doors will need to be used as part of a doorset in order to meet building regulations. This means that the door frame, hinges, ironmongery, signage, and closers will all need to be certified as fire resistant to the same level as the door itself. It also means that the door must have intumescent strips around it, creating a seal around the door to prevent the passage of fire and smoke.
Fire doors will need to automatically close, and can only be held open with a certified retainer, which is designed to close in the event of a fire. Most fire doors in flats will either be FD30 or FD60, signifying 30 and 60 minutes of fire resistance respectively.
What Are the Regulations for Fire Doors in Flats?
Approved Document B alongside the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 lay out the fire safety regulations in and around buildings, covering how fire doors must be used for separating individual flats from communal areas.
For flats on the ground floor, and upper floor flats located below a height of 4.5m with a suitable means of escape, then fire doors are not legally required. In all heights above this, there will need to be an FD30 or higher fire door for every divide between a flat and a communal area, like a hallway. When constructing a new building, or looking to ensure adequate fire protection within an existing one, a fire risk assessment should be conducted, which will make general recommendations about reducing fire risk, and also indicate which fire doors will be needed.
In larger buildings, such as high rise blocks of flats, FD60 doors could be recommended, offering a longer escape window to residents. Alongside fire doors, other features such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers will be mandated within flats by building regulations.
What Front Doors Are Available for Blocks of Flats?
Specialist flat front doors are available from companies such as Sentry Doors, designed to be used as fire doors between flats and communal areas. Fire doors in flats will combine fire protection with aesthetic appeal, and some, such as our flat entrance doors, can also include security features designed to resist intrusion.
Who Is Responsible for Fire Safety Doors in a Flat?
Within any building where fire doors are mandated, there will be a Responsible Person, usually a landlord in the case of a block of flats. This person will be responsible for conducting regular fire risk assessments within the property, ensuring that all fire doors meet building regulations.
Fire safety doors should be inspected by a professional every six months, ensuring that the door is structurally sound, that it is securely attached with intumescent strips and smoke seals, and that it has a working automatic closer. When defects are found, action must be taken to ensure that the door in question is either fixed or replaced immediately.
Bespoke Fire Doors for Flats
Sentry Doors has been producing excellent fire doors for over 25 years, specialising in social housing across the UK. We produce bespoke doorsets from our state-of-the-art Doncaster manufacturing facility, working with main and sub-contractors, local authorities, and housing associations.
Our bespoke flat entrance doors come in both FD30 and FD60 ratings, with a choice of style and colours, allowing us to tailor our doorsets to precisely fit the needs of each client. Alongside being fully certified for fire resistance, our flat entrance doors also boast a PAS 24 Enhanced Security Door certification, offering protection against intrusion. If you are looking for bespoke fire doors for a project, be that a new-build block of flats, or replacement fire doors for a building, Sentry Doors can produce fully certified bespoke doorsets, offering a consistent 6-8 week lead time.
Speak to a member of our team today about your needs in flat entrance doors.
