Fire doors are widely recognised as important live saving devices. As education and awareness increases, most people understand that they’re an essential part of building safety because they prevent the spread of fire and smoke, saving lives and protecting properties in the process.

But unfortunately, there are still a few popular fire door myths that circulate, which can cause confusion and uncertainty.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most common misconceptions about fire doors and explain why they’re incorrect.

The most common fire door myths

1. All fire doors are the same

Not all fire doors are the same. They vary based on several things, including materials, configurations, fire resistance ratings, and specific requirements for different building types and usage scenarios.

To determine which one is best for your building, the Responsible Person in a business or organisation should carry out a thorough risk assessment. This risk assessment will help the organisation decide what fire doors are needed, where they should be located, and what fire rating they should have.

2. Fire doors are only needed in commercial buildings.

You might already be aware that fire doors are a legal requirement in all non-domestic properties, such as businesses, commercial premises, and public buildings. But they’re also required in multi-storey dwellings, in mixed-use buildings, residential flats, and Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

If you have a loft conversion, fire doors are generally required to create a safe means of escape from higher floors. And you also need a fire door between a house and integral garage.

3. Replacing components with standard parts is fine

If a fire door or any of its hardware need fixing or replacing, it’s crucial to only use certified and compatible components. Not doing so can invalidate the fire door’s certification and compromise its performance.

It’s always best to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions as these will provide all the information you need when it comes to both installation and repairs.

4. Intumescent seals are optional

Intumescent strips are designed to expand when they heat up. If there’s a fire, the rise in temperature activates the material inside the PVC casing, causing it to swell. The expanded strip then plugs the gap, preventing the heat and fire from spreading to another area of the building.   

They’re an essential fire safety component and crucial for a fire door’s performance. If intumescent strips are found not to have been fitted in the event of a fire, the Responsible Person could be prosecuted.

5. Painting a fire door with fireproof paint makes it a fire door

While fireproof paint can add some level of fire resistance, applying fireproof paint alone does not make a door a certified fire door. A fireproof paint might add around three minutes of fire resistance, but that’s way below the 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes required for certified fire doors.

A certified fire door is an assembly of various components that have been rigorously tested together to ensure they meet specific fire resistance standards. The door leaf, frame, intumescent seals, hardware, and any glazing must all work together to achieve the fire rating.

6. Once installed, fire doors don’t need further attention

Over time, everyday use of fire doors can cause wear and tear or alterations to the door leaf, door frame and hardware. As such, the BS:9999: Code of Practice for Fire Safety in the Design, Management and Use of Buildings states that fire doors should be inspected at least every six months.

There are some exceptions to the rule, however. Regulation 10 makes it a legal requirement for any residential buildings over 11 metres to have their fire doors in any common parts inspected quarterly and flat entrance doors checked annually.

7. The gaps around fire doors don’t matter

The gaps around fire doors are critical. Occasionally, fire doors have been over-morticed or poorly installed resulting in gaps that are too wide. If this happens, it can allow smoke and fire to pass through, causing the door to fail.  

We recommend always checking the manufacturer data sheet or other evidence for the fire door leaf you’re installing or inspecting. And it’s a good idea to use a taper gauge tool to check the size of the gaps as accurately as possible.

8. Fire doors only protect against fire

Toxic smoke inhalation causes more fire-related deaths than the fires do themselves, which is why fire doors are designed to prevent the spread of smoke as well as fire.

A smoke seal is like an intumescent strip, but its primary function is to prevent the spread of smoke. Unlike intumescent strips, smoke seals usually have a brush or fin that stops the smoke, allowing time for residents to escape and preventing the spread of poisonous gases.   

The importance of fire doors

Fit-for-purpose and regularly inspected fire doors save lives. If a fire door is properly manufactured by a certified manufacturer, and installed as a complete, compliant and compatible system, it can hold back a fire for either 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.

Fire doors work on the principle of compartmentation. Compartmentation works by dividing large spaces into smaller, fire-resistant compartments to prevent or slow the spread of fire and smoke within a building. This allows extra time for people to escape a building safely and restricts damage to the property.

How to make sure your fire doors comply

• Thorough risk assessment: A risk assessment is an essential part of building safety and compliance. Before installing your fire doors, the building or organisation’s Responsible Person should carry out a risk assessment to determine the specific fire safety requirements of the building.

• Correct installation: Fire door installations should always be carried out by a ‘competent person’ who has completed fire door installation training. The best way to avoid mistakes and remain compliant during installation is by sticking to the fire door certification and installation instructions provided by the manufacturer.

• Regular inspection and maintenance: Having fire doors installed is not enough on its own. In order to ensure compliance, it’s vital that you undertake regular inspections and maintenance of fire doors and all their components.

Where to find reliable information on fire doors

There are several educational resources where you can find reliable information about fire doors and regulations. These include:

• Approved Document B of the Building Regulations: This provides essential guidance for fire safety, including requirements for fire doors.

• BS 8214: The British Standard BS 8214:2016 provides a code of practice for the design, installation, and maintenance of timber fire door assemblies.

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: This regulation mandates the proper installation and maintenance of fire-resisting and escape doors in non-domestic buildings. It also emphasises the need for regular fire risk assessments.

• Code of Practice for Hardware for Fire and Escape Doors: Produced by the Builders Hardware Industry Federation and Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, this provides specific guidance on fire door hardware.

• UK Fire Door Training: Our training courses and blog resources offer comprehensive and detailed information on fire door installation, maintenance, and regulations.

Here at UK Fire Door Training, we’re on a mission to build a safer UK. Our FireQual and CPD-endorsed courses have been specially designed by fire safety experts to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to install, maintain and inspect fire doors with confidence.   

Our courses take place online or in the classroom. We also go the extra mile to ensure our courses are user-friendly and cater to people with special educational needs, making sure every trainee gets the attention they deserve.   

Browse our online fire door training courses here.