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Fire Door Regulations & FAQs

Straight answers to the questions landlords, managing agents and building owners ask us most about fire doors in Liverpool and Merseyside: fire door regulations, inspection frequency, FD30 vs FD60, certification and repairs. Can’t see your question? Call 0151 721 0790.

Fire Door Regulations: Frequently Asked Questions

Fire Door Installation FAQs

What fire door ratings do you install?

We install FD30, FD30s, FD60 and FD60s fire door assemblies, made to measure where the opening needs it.

  • FD30 and FD30s rated fire door assemblies
  • FD60 and FD60s rated fire door assemblies for higher-risk areas
  • Made to measure for large, small or non-standard wall openings

No. We supply standard-size FD30 and FD60 fire doors from stock as well as bespoke, made-to-measure doors, and both are installed to the same certified standard.

  • A large range of standard-size FD30 and FD60 fire doors held in stock through our trusted stockists
  • Bespoke, made-to-measure doors for non-standard or unusual openings
  • Whichever you need, every door is supplied and installed to the same certified standard

Yes. Our fire doors are made from BWF certified solid-core blanks and fitted by UK Fire Door trained and FireQual certified installers, with documentation covering everything from blank to finished installation.

  • BWF (British Woodworking Federation) certified solid-core, flush ply-faced blanks
  • Installed by UK Fire Door trained and FireQual certified installers
  • Fully certified from blank to finished installation, with documentation to match

Yes. Alongside our standard stocked sizes, we make fire doors to measure for non-standard or unusual openings, with no compromise on fire performance.

  • Made to measure for non-standard or unusual openings, on top of our standard stocked sizes
  • Ideal for older Liverpool properties with non-standard door openings
  • No compromise on fire performance for an awkward fit

Neither is a certified fire door, and both are treated as a compliance risk if flagged during a fire risk assessment. A nominal fire door is a timber door assumed to offer some fire resistance, but it was never actually tested or certified. A notional fire door is an older door that met the standard in place when it was fitted, but usually lacks the intumescent strips and cold smoke seals a modern fire door requires. If we find either during a survey, we’ll flag it and recommend a certified FD30 or FD60 replacement.

FD stands for Fire Door, and the number is how many minutes the door assembly has been tested to hold back fire, so an FD30 resists fire for 30 minutes and an FD60 for 60 minutes. The small “s” stands for smoke: an FD30s has the same 30-minute fire rating but is also fitted with cold smoke seals to stop smoke passing around the edges of the door before the fire arrives.

FD30s doors are usually required on escape routes, such as flat entrance doors onto a communal corridor and doors onto stairways. The rating only applies to the complete assembly: the door leaf, frame, intumescent strips, smoke seals, hinges, self-closer, glazing and ironmongery must all be compatible and fitted as tested, which is why installation matters as much as the door itself.

In most fires, smoke rather than flames is the biggest danger to life. Fire doors keep fire and smoke out of the corridors, landings and stairways people use to get out, so the escape route stays clear and breathable long enough for everyone to leave safely.

They only work when they’re closed, which is why fire doors on escape routes must have a working self-closer, must never be wedged open, and must close fully into the frame. In purpose-built blocks of flats that use a “stay put” policy, the flat entrance fire door is also what keeps residents in other flats safe while the fire is dealt with.

Compartmentation is the way a building is divided into separate fire-resisting sections, or compartments, using fire-rated walls, floors, fire stopping and fire doors. Its job is to keep a fire and its smoke contained in the room or flat where it started, rather than letting it spread through the building.

For the fire service, good compartmentation means the fire is held in one known area, giving firefighters the time and a protected route, such as the stairwell and corridors, to reach it, rescue anyone inside and put it out safely. It also limits damage to the rest of the building. A single weak point, such as a fire door propped open, a missing self-closer, damaged seals or unsealed gaps around pipes and cables, can break the compartment and let fire and smoke spread.

Yes. Every installation comes with full certification and written sign-off documentation for each door.

  • Full certification with every installation
  • Written certification and sign-off documentation for each door
  • A compliance record ready to hand to your fire risk assessor or local authority

Yes. We regularly work in occupied HMOs and let properties across Merseyside, keeping disruption to tenants to a minimum.

  • Experience working in occupied HMOs and let properties across Merseyside
  • Dust sheets and clean site practice as standard
  • Work scheduled to keep disruption to tenants to a minimum

Fire Door Inspection & Fire Door Regulations FAQs

How often do fire door regulations require inspections?

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the Responsible Person for a multi-occupied residential building over 11 metres must carry out quarterly checks of fire doors in the common parts, and should, as best endeavours, check flat entrance doors annually. For other premises, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire doors to be kept in efficient working order through regular fire risk assessments.

Under current fire door regulations, the “Responsible Person” — usually the landlord, freeholder, managing agent or employer in control of the premises — is legally responsible under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and, for taller residential blocks, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. We work directly with landlords, managing agents and building owners across Liverpool to help them meet that duty.

We check the whole fire door assembly: the gaps around the door, the intumescent strips and smoke seals, the hinges, closer and door furniture, and the glazing, signage and certification labels.

  • Gaps around the door leaf (typically no more than 3-4mm to the frame)
  • Intumescent strips and cold smoke seals for damage or overpainting
  • Hinges, self-closers and door furniture for correct operation
  • Glazing, signage and certification labels or plugs

Yes. You get a written, dated inspection report for every door we check, showing a clear pass or fail for each one.

  • A written, dated inspection report for every door checked
  • Clear pass or fail status, with photographic evidence where relevant
  • A record you can hand straight to your fire risk assessor, insurer or local authority

We’ll tell you exactly what’s failed and why, then give you a clear, no-obligation quote to put it right — whether that’s a simple seal or closer replacement or a full door swap. As the same team handles installation and inspection, remedial work can usually be booked in quickly.

Yes. We regularly carry out independent fire door inspections and surveys on doors we didn’t originally supply or fit, for landlords who want an impartial compliance check.

Joinery FAQs

What joinery services do you offer?

We offer decking, internal and external door hanging, fire door installation, inspection and maintenance, plus flooring, skirting boards and bespoke carpentry.

  • Decking design and installation
  • Internal and external door hanging
  • Fire door installation, inspection and maintenance
  • Flooring, skirting boards and bespoke carpentry

Yes. We’re a UK Fire Door trained and FireQual certified joinery team with over 20 years’ experience across Liverpool and Merseyside, and we carry full public liability insurance for every job we take on.

Regularly. A lot of our work is in older Liverpool housing stock and converted HMOs, where openings, skirting profiles and door sizes are rarely standard — that’s exactly the kind of job our bespoke, made-to-measure approach is built for.

Yes, we can match most existing profiles so new skirting or architrave blends in with the rest of the property, rather than looking like a patch repair.

We can supply and source all materials for you, or work with materials you’ve already bought — whichever suits your budget and timeline best.

It depends entirely on the scope — a single door hang might take half a day, while a full flooring and skirting job across a property takes longer. We’ll always give you a realistic timeframe as part of your free quote.

Free Quote FAQs

How do I get a free quote?

Call us on 0151 721 0790, email info@liverpooljoineryservices.co.uk, or use the contact form on our website. We’ll usually arrange a site visit or ask for some photos and measurements to give you an accurate price.

Yes — every quote is free and comes with no obligation to book. We believe in transparent, upfront pricing with no hidden fees.

We aim to respond to every enquiry within 1 working day, and can usually arrange a site visit within a few days depending on the job and location.

No. Site visits and quotes are completely free, whether the job is a single door repair or a full property refit.

Tell us the type of property and how many doors or rooms are involved, send photos and rough measurements if you can, and let us know about any deadlines.

  • The type of property and number of doors or rooms involved
  • Photos of the current doors, flooring or area of work
  • Rough measurements where possible
  • Any deadlines, such as an upcoming fire risk assessment or licensing inspection

Yes, we regularly quote for HMO portfolios and multi-unit landlords needing fire door compliance work or joinery across several properties, and can phase larger jobs to suit your budget and tenancy schedules.

Door Fitting FAQs

What types of doors do you fit?

We fit internal, external, bi-fold and sliding doors, as well as FD30 and FD60 fire doors.

  • Internal doors, including hardwood, softwood and glazed
  • External doors, including composite and uPVC
  • Bi-fold and sliding doors
  • FD30 and FD60 fire doors

Yes, we can supply and fit, or fit doors you’ve already bought — whichever works best for you.

A standard internal or external door usually takes half a day to fit correctly, including hanging, hardware and finishing. Fire doors can take slightly longer, as gaps, seals and closers all need to be set precisely to meet certification requirements.

Yes. Every fire door we fit is hung to BS 8214 guidance by a UK Fire Door trained and FireQual certified installer, with the correct gaps, intumescent seals and self-closing device — so it’s compliant from day one, not just on paper.

Yes, removal and responsible disposal of your old doors is included as standard, so there’s nothing left for you to deal with.

It can, if it’s fitted incorrectly or the wrong door is used in a fire-rated opening. That’s exactly why we always check whether a door is in a fire-rated position before fitting, so you don’t unknowingly create a compliance gap.

Supply and Fit FAQs

Can you supply and fit fire doors as one job?

Yes — supply and fit is our most popular option for fire doors, since it means one UK Fire Door trained and FireQual certified team is responsible for the door from manufacture through to a compliant, certified installation.

Our fire doors are manufactured using BWF (British Woodworking Federation) certified solid-core blanks, giving you a clear, traceable paper trail from raw material to finished, installed door — exactly what a fire risk assessor will want to see.

We can supply doors on their own, but for fire doors specifically we’d always recommend certified installation too, since even a correctly rated door won’t perform as certified if it’s hung with the wrong gaps or hardware.

Yes, all doors we supply and fit come with a workmanship guarantee, giving you peace of mind on top of the manufacturer’s product certification.

Yes, we can match handles, hinges and finishes to your existing property style, or advise on options if you’re updating the look as part of the job.

Yes — we handle the full process end-to-end: site survey and measuring, manufacturing or sourcing the door, certified installation, and finally the certification and sign-off documentation you need for compliance.

Meter Cupboard Door FAQs

Does an electric meter cupboard need a fire door?

If the cupboard opens onto a communal hallway, landing or stairwell in a block of flats, HMO or commercial building, it will usually need a fire-resisting door, typically FD30, kept locked shut. Your fire risk assessment will confirm what your building needs. Read more about our FD30 meter cupboard doors.

In England, residential buildings over 11 metres tall must have all fire doors in the common parts checked every three months under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. For smaller buildings, follow your fire risk assessment. We can include meter cupboard doors in our fire door inspection and maintenance visits.

Yes. A fire-rated meter cupboard door only protects the escape route when it’s shut, so it should be kept locked with a fire-rated lock and a “Fire Door Keep Locked” sign. Locking it also stops tampering and stops the cupboard being used for storage.

No. Meter cupboards should be kept clear. Rubbish, cardboard, paint or bikes stored next to electrical equipment add fuel in the one place you most want to keep free of it.

Yes. For wide cupboards or where several meters sit together, we make double fire door cabinets: a pair of made-to-measure FD30 doors in a new fire-rated frame, giving full-width access to the meters. See meter cupboard doors.

No. Gas meter cupboards need ventilation, so we only make and fit doors for electrical meter cupboards.

Every fire door assembly comes with documented certification and sign-off for your fire safety records. We agree the full specification with you before we start, and it’s recorded in your certification and sign-off documentation.

Victorian & Period Property Fire Door FAQs

Can you fit a fire door in a Victorian doorway?

Yes. We make each fire door to measure from certified solid core blanks and fit it in a new certified frame, so tall, wide or out-of-square period openings aren’t a problem. See a full job from start to finish on our Victorian and period fire doors page.

Period doorways are usually much taller and wider than modern standard fire door sizes, and after 100+ years of settlement they’re rarely square or plumb. Fitting a standard fire door assembly into an opening that size leaves large voids between the frame and the wall. Packing out and fire-stopping gaps that big isn’t within the manufacturer’s installation instructions, so the fire door assembly’s certification is compromised. A made-to-measure fire door assembly, built to fit the opening, is the right way to do it.

Usually not as the fire door itself. Original doors were never made to a fire rating, and a fire door has to be a tested and certified assembly of door, frame, seals, hinges and closer. In most cases we replace it with a made-to-measure certified fire door assembly that suits the opening.

Often, yes. Where the wall is thick enough, we cut the depth of the certified fire door frame out of the original lining from inside the flat or room and fit the new frame from that side, so the original Victorian architrave in the hallway is never touched. Architraves that do have to come off can’t be refitted, because the old fixings destroy them when they’re removed. We can have new ones made to the same size and profile, or talk you through other options. Under BS 8214:2026 the door frame is always replaced, and every part we fit is certified to work together as one fire door assembly.

If your building is listed, or in some cases in a conservation area, you may need consent from the council before changing doors, including internal ones. Check with Liverpool City Council’s conservation team before work starts. We’re happy to work with your managing agent, architect or conservation officer.

The same documented certification and sign-off as any other job: where each door is, its fire rating (FD30 or FD60), the certified fire door assembly it’s built from, and photos of the key components, fitted following BS 8214:2026 guidance. That’s the evidence your fire risk assessor, insurer or HMO licensing officer will ask for.

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