New fire doors have gone into a house converted into an Ofsted-registered children’s home. A few weeks or months later, staff report that the doors are sticking, rubbing or not closing on their own. In most cases the doors haven’t been fitted badly. They’re swelling because the building is damp. This guide explains why it happens, what it means for fire safety and your Ofsted inspection, and how to control humidity with dehumidifiers. It also includes a free guide and data sheet to download.
Why fire doors swell after a children’s home conversion
Timber fire doors are made to close tolerances for a dry, heated interior. When the surrounding air is damp, the timber absorbs moisture and expands, mostly across the width and at the edges. In a converted children’s home the moisture usually comes from:
- The building drying out. New plaster, screed and paint release large amounts of water, often for 6–12 months after the work finishes. Doors fitted during or soon after the wet trades soak it up.
- Higher occupancy than a family home. Several young people and a staff team mean more showers, cooking and laundry, so more water vapour.
- Clothes drying on radiators, one of the biggest moisture sources in care settings.
- Restricted ventilation. Window restrictors are used for safeguarding, trickle vents get closed and extractor fans get switched off.
- Heating that’s on and off, or cold, unused rooms where moisture condenses.
- Unsealed door edges, where a door has been trimmed and the bare timber left unsealed.
- Building defects such as leaks, blocked gutters, or penetrating or rising damp. A dehumidifier won’t fix these.
Why a swollen fire door is a serious problem
A fire door only works if it closes fully and latches on its own. A swollen door can:
- stop the self-closer from shutting and latching the door, so it stays ajar in a fire;
- crush, tear or dislodge the intumescent strips and smoke seals;
- put strain on the hinges and closer, so the door drops out of line;
- lead staff and young people to wedge or prop doors open “to stop them sticking”.
A fire door that won’t self-close and latch is a failed fire door. Treat it as a defect, record it and report it the same day.
Your legal duties in 2026
| Requirement | What it means for your home |
|---|---|
| Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 | The Responsible Person must keep fire safety measures, including fire doors, in efficient working order and good repair. Since the Building Safety Act 2022 changes came into force in October 2023, the full fire risk assessment must be recorded in writing, and the person carrying it out must be competent. |
| Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 | Regulation 25 requires adequate fire precautions and fire equipment kept in working order. Regulations 10 and 12 cover children’s health and protection, and damp and mould affect both. Regulation 46 requires regular review of the premises. |
| Ofsted (SCCIF) | Children’s homes are still inspected under the Social Care Common Inspection Framework. In July 2026 Ofsted consulted on changes, including a 5-point grading scale and report cards (the consultation closed on 28 September 2026). Whatever the outcome, inspectors want evidence that the home is safe. |
| BS 8214:2026 | Published in March 2026, this code of practice replaces the 2016 edition. It treats the door, frame, seals and hardware as one certified fire door assembly. Altering parts without evidence that they work together can undermine the door’s certification. |
For more on the new standard, read BS 8214:2026 explained.
Don’t plane or trim a swollen fire door
Planing a sticking door feels like the quick fix, but on a fire door it often makes things worse. Removing material can:
- push the gaps outside the door’s certified tolerances;
- cut into or damage the intumescent seals;
- expose bare timber that then takes on even more moisture;
- leave gaps that are too big once the building dries out and the door shrinks back.
The right order is to control the humidity, let the door settle, then have a competent fire door installer reassess it.
How to use dehumidifiers to get humidity under control
Target humidity
Keep indoor relative humidity at 40–60%, ideally around 50%, steadily and in every room. Use cheap digital hygrometers to check readings independently of the dehumidifier’s own display.
| Reading (RH) | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 40–60% | OK | Keep the routine going and log it. |
| 60–70% | Too damp | Check the unit is running and not full, the doors and windows are closed, and the fans are on. Recheck in 2 hours. |
| Over 70% | Act now | Tell the manager. Look for a leak or water source, and add or move a unit. |
| Under 40% | Too dry | Raise the humidistat setting. Prolonged very dry air can shrink and crack timber. |
Choosing the right unit
- Compressor dehumidifiers are most efficient in heated rooms above about 15°C, which covers most living areas and hallways.
- Desiccant dehumidifiers work better in cooler rooms below about 15°C and run more quietly, but they use more power and blow warm air.
- For drying out a whole house, use 20 litres/day or larger units, or several smaller ones spread across the floors.
- Look for a built-in humidistat, auto-restart, a full-tank cut-off, a continuous drain option and a child lock.
Daily routine
- Run units continuously, set to 50% on the humidistat, throughout the drying-out period.
- Keep the heating at a steady 18–21°C and avoid big temperature swings.
- Keep trickle vents open, and run the kitchen and bathroom extractor fans during and after use.
- Dry laundry in a tumble dryer, or in a closed room with a dehumidifier running, not on radiators.
- Empty the tanks daily, clean the filters every two weeks, and log the readings every shift.
Expect 2–6 weeks of steady humidity control before swollen doors start to ease. A newly converted building may need it through its whole first heating season.
Safe placement in a children’s home
- Never wedge or prop a fire door open to spread the drying. Move the unit instead.
- Keep units out of escape routes, stairs and doorways.
- Plug directly into a wall socket. Don’t use extension reels or run cables across doorways.
- Treat cables and drain hoses as potential ligature points. Assess every placement against each young person’s individual risk assessment, and use staff-controlled or lockable rooms where there’s a known risk.
- Use the child lock, and keep desiccant units’ warm exhaust away from bedding and curtains.
- Add the units to your electrical safety records and environmental risk assessment.
Quick fire door checks for staff
- Open the door fully and let go. It should close and latch on its own.
- Open it slightly and let go. It should still close and latch.
- It shouldn’t stick, rub or scrape anywhere.
- The seals should be in place and undamaged.
- A £1 coin (about 3 mm) should fit the gap along the top and both sides.
- Hinges should be tight and the closer working, and no fire door should be wedged or propped open.
Gap requirements always follow the door’s own certification and the manufacturer’s instructions. If any check fails, report it the same day and don’t force, plane or trim the door.
Free downloads for children’s homes
Humidity Control & Fire Door Care Guide (7 pages, PDF). The full guide for managers and Responsible Persons: causes, legal duties, choosing and placing dehumidifiers, safeguarding, settings and when to call us.
Humidity & Fire Door Data Sheet (2 pages, PDF). A tick-box checklist for every shift and a weekly humidity and fire door log, ready to print and keep as evidence for Ofsted and your fire risk assessor.
Free to download, print and share with your staff team. No sign-up needed.
Sticking and swelling fire doors: questions answered
Why are the new fire doors in our children’s home sticking?
Usually because the building is damp, especially in the first months after a conversion while new plaster and screed dry out. The timber takes up moisture from the air and expands. High occupancy, laundry dried indoors and restricted ventilation make it worse.
Can we plane the door down so it closes?
No. Planing a fire door can take it outside its certified gaps, damage the intumescent seals and void its certification. Control the humidity first, let the door settle, then have a competent fire door installer reassess it.
What humidity should a children’s home be kept at?
Aim for 40–60% relative humidity, ideally around 50%, kept steady in every room, with the heating at a steady 18–21°C.
How long until swollen fire doors go back to normal?
With steady humidity control, most doors start to ease within 2–6 weeks. A newly converted building may need humidity control through its whole first heating season.
Is a fire door that won’t close a problem for Ofsted?
Yes. A fire door that won’t self-close and latch is a defect under the Fire Safety Order, and Regulation 25 of the Children’s Homes Regulations requires adequate fire precautions. Record it, report it the same day and get it put right.
Fire doors sticking in your children’s home?
Talk to a UK Fire Door trained and FireQual-certified team with over 20 years’ experience. We provide fire door inspections with photo reports, moisture readings, closer, hinge and seal adjustment, and certified remedial work. We reply to all enquiries within 1 working day.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk – The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015
- legislation.gov.uk – Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- GOV.UK – Ofsted consults on strengthening children’s social care inspections
- BSI Knowledge – BS 8214:2026
This article is general guidance and not a substitute for a fire risk assessment of your building. Always follow the fire door manufacturer’s certification and installation instructions.
