Non-compliant fire doors and further fire safety issues?

Reply to the comment left by RWB Building Solutions at 13/04/2022 - 14:39
properties are in Devon

Reply to the comment left by AndrewMcC at 13/04/2022 - 16:03
There is a lot of work in product selection and ensuring that the correct evidence showing each component is compatible with the other. And there is the test evidence to support it all.

But yes pre-hung doors are a good choice if you can afford them - as you know they have been tested to work together.

We have had joiners working for us - that have been fitting fire doors for years - but we have had to change a lot of mentality, and thought process to get rid of the old bad habits which make them non-compliant.

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 13/04/2022 - 18:55
Might be ok for our Summer Holidays - but probably a little to far for us to come! 🙂

Good luck - check out the BM Trada register for approved installers

I had one Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) recently which stated that all apartment front doors should be replaced with FD60s's and the freeholder demanded £2,120 per door to do this. I think some of the lessons I've learned may be relevant to the OP.

Fire safety is an important issue, and everyone wants to get it right - cutting corners is not a good thing. However, in my experience, the assessors are often completely OTT.

I suspect that this dynamic is prevalent because Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) are done by commercial companies, and are often / usually appointed by freeholders, who often / usually are NOT footing the bill. Now you are a RTM, so you can fight against this, but usually the leaseholders are powerless to do anything. I don't want to cast aspersions, but I suspect there is some level of corruption going on, with assessors and suppliers giving backhanders to freeholders from inflated fees, but that's another story.

So how can you get an FRA that doesn't have this commercial bias? Well the regulatory body is I believe, the local Fire & Rescue Service (FRS), at least they have the power to give out enforcement orders if they feel that someone is being negligent in the fire safety responsibilities. So we asked the local FRS in and the officer said:

"Over time, legal requirements and fire safety standards have changed and as such a door installed when the building was constructed or prior to 2000 may now not meet the necessary standard, so you may need to upgrade some elements or replace your door to ensure the flat door meets current standards. In some cases the door itself may be adequate and only minor improvements such as changing ironmongery may be required but this will require someone competent in the assessment of fire doors to advise."

In fact he privately admitted the FRA was h*****hit, and said that a new FRA should be done. Interestingly we asked who had the final say if there was a difference between what the FRS said, and what the Assessor said, and he was quite clear that his was the final word.

It took me some time before I found out that FRS's recognise something that the industry labels "Nominal" fire doors. These are doors that in all likelihood were Fire Doors when they were installed, but there is no documentation to prove it. I don't think anyone will retrospectively certify them as fire doors, but the FRS use something which appears lacking in the assessors world, and that is Common Sense.

I know that standards for FD's have improved over the years, but I think that fire is still fire, and a door that could keep out fire for 30 minutes 40 years ago (as in our case) should, if maintained properly, still keep out fire for 30 minutes today. However, by way of prudent maintenance I got someone in to do the following:

• (not necessary, but recommended) replace hinges (there should be at least 3)
• check letterbox working properly – repair or replace if needed. Intumescent letter boxes are available.
• hardwood lipping if required to bring any gaps around the door to be not less than 2mm and no more than 4mm, and threshold gaps to be no more than 10mm (for FD30) or 3mm (for FD30s).
• fit combined intumescent and smoke strip to frame and letterbox to delay spread of fire and smoke.
• optional: check and fit or replace dropseal, or draught excluder (white, black or brown)
• either renovate or replace current chain closer, or fit overhead door closer. It should be capable of overcoming the latch to close the door unaided.

This cost me £200. The freeholder is unhappy, but as long as the FRS is happy, I'm happy.

Reply to the comment left by James Noble at 13/04/2022 - 17:52
Hi James, what area is the property in, if local we may be able to help?

Hello Andrew, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Reply to the comment left by James Noble at 13/04/2022 - 21:57
Unfortunately with the current price of fuel It would double the cost due to travel time and diesel! Good luck with the project.

Thanks anyway, Andrew.

Reply to the comment left by James Noble at 13/04/2022 - 22:04
Hi James, we can help - JLA Fire & Security Ltd. We are BM Trada Q Mark accredited for Fire Door Installations and maintenance. We have a hub in Hixon, Staffordshire and are also nationwide.

Hello Helen, Thank you. I've found your details on-line and will get in touch after Easter. It looks like the sort of thing we are after.