A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating used as part of a passive fire protection system. Fire doors are an essential part of a building’s passive fire safety strategy and provide compartmentation to prevent fire and smoke spread, assist in safe evacuation and provide protection to the rest of the building.

Because fire doors are functional items and are necessary in all buildings and structures, it is vital that fire doors are installed and maintained as fit for purpose. They are required to meet a number of different regulations such as sound, accessibility, ventilation, thermal efficiency and safety glazing as well as fire safety.

Fire doors are tested and rated for fire separation performance in terms of the time elapsed before the ultimate failure of the door and the most common ratings as referenced in UK Building Regulations are FD30 and FD60 (although higher rated doors such as FD90 and FD120 are available for use where additional protection is required).

It is important to understand how specification, installation and any alterations may impact on the doors’ fire performance. System Building Services install and inspect the full range of fire doors to buildings of all sizes and can support clients in complying with the latest regulations.