Fire Doors for Domestic Property

Fire doors installed in homes can help to prevent deaths in the event of a fire, as well as assist firefighters to access the fire to put it out. They also limit the spread of smoke and flames to other parts of the building. The precise legislation governing where fire doors for domestic properties are legally required is complicated and detailed, but as a general rule, multi-occupancy properties, such as blocks of flats, are obliged to include more fire doors than detached houses are. This is because of the greater risk of the fire spreading to other people’s homes in multi-occupancy buildings.

The way that fire doors work is to compartmentalise the danger to as small an area as possible. When a fire door is correctly installed, with the right frame in place, it is able to block the passage of smoke, fumes and flames for a pre-determined amount of time, usually between 30 minutes and two hours.

Some of the building regulations that are currently in place regarding where, in a domestic property,

fire doors must be fitted, include:

• For two storey homes with an integral garage, the door that joins the garage to the main part of the house must be a fire door;

• Properties which are newly built or renovated and have three or more storeys must have FD30 fire doors (doors which can withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes) on the third floor, and around the staircase;

• Loft conversions are considered to constitute a third storey, so the point above applies to them;

• In a “house in multiple occupation”, often known as a shared house, domestic fire doors are recommended to be fitted between each person’s private space (e.g. their bedrooms), and the common areas, such as shared rooms like the kitchen, landing and living room;

• Rooms around a protected stairway must have fire doors, so that people can escape by way of the stairs if necessary without being at risk;

• The doors connecting shared parts of a multi-occupancy dwelling, such as the doors to individual flats or apartments, must be able to resist fire for at least 30 minutes;

• Doors which connect a home to an integral garage, or a flat to shared areas of a property, should have self-closing devices fitted. These are no longer required in other parts of most buildings.

Because the building and fire safety regulations are so complex, none of the above is meant to be legal advice. It is simply to provide you with a general idea of some of the circumstances where fire doors may be required. If in doubt, consult a specialist for advice.

A very important point to consider, regarding fire doors in a domestic property, is that if a fire door is damaged or held open, it will be of very little use at containing an outbreak of fire. For this reason, fire doors should always be properly maintained, with no obstacles in the way of its closure.

Providing optimum fire safety in people’s homes should be the aim of all property owners, landlords and housing associations. Fire doors can be installed even where they are not strictly necessary, and at an absolute minimum, the legal and industry requirements should be met.