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 apartment access doors required to offer 30 minutes of fire resistance. Additionally, there are internal and external fire door regulations for flats and apartments.
In this guide from Sentry Doors, a bespoke fire door manufacturer, we will 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. We will also outline existing fire door regulations for flats.
The Importance of Fire Doors in Flats
Fire doors are purposely designed to 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. 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.
In England, there are stringent fire door regulations for flats in place, governing their performance and placement. Whether building a new block of flats or looking after an existing building, these standards must be met and maintained to ensure fire door compliance.
How To Meet Fire Door Requirements For Flats?
Fire doors will need to be used as part of a doorset in order to meet building regulations. This means that in order to meet fire door regulations for flats, 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. This fire door requirement for flats means that the door must have intumescent strips around it, creating a seal around the door to prevent the passage of fire and smoke.
External 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 that they provide 30 and 60 minutes of fire resistance respectively.
What Are the Fire Door Regulations for Flats?
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, Approved Document B, Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 lay out the fire safety regulations in and around buildings. This document covers the fire door requirements for flats, detailing how they must be used for separating individual flats from shared areas.
Where a flat entrance door opens onto a communal escape route, it is generally expected to be a fire-resisting, self-closing flat entrance door. 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. This will typically require a minimum of an FD30 fire door, guaranteeing protection against fire for at least 30 minutes.
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 may be mandated as a necessary fire door requirement for flats.
Do Internal and External Fire Door Regulations for Flats Differ in England?
Yes, internal and external fire door regulations for flats in England differ due to their specific safety roles. External fire doors for flats regulations apply to front doors opening onto shared areas and must be FD30 rated, smoke-sealed, and self-closing. These are crucial for protecting shared escape routes. Internal fire doors for flats regulations, however, depend on the layout of the flat in question. Only certain doors, like those on escape routes or in multi-storey flats, may need fire resistance. At Sentry Doors, our entire range of products are fully certified.
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 combined 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. Our range meets regulations for external fire doors.
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 is 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 on a regular basis, 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 closure. When defects are found, action must be taken to ensure that the door in question is either fixed or replaced immediately. This is paramount as a defect could mean fire door requirements for flats are not met and safety is compromised.
For buildings over 11m in height, Responsible Persons must use best endeavours to ensure that flat entrance doors are inspected annually and communal fire doors are inspected quarterly. The checks can be simple visual checks and do not necessarily require a specialist, although any repairs or replacements should be carried out by a competent contractor.
Bespoke Fire Doors for Flats
Sentry Doors has been producing excellent fire doors for over 25 years, specialising in social housing across England. 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 residential unit doors come in both FD30 and FD60 ratings, with a choice of style and colours, allowing us to tailor our doorsets to your needs. Alongside being fully certified for fire resistance, our apartment access 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, the Sentry Doors team can produce fully certified doorsets, offering a consistent 6-8 week lead time.
Speak to a member of our team today about your fire door requirements. We’re happy to help!
