FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY
The Three Most Common Fire Door Failures
Louise Frost from Door Controls Direct explores fire door ironmongery, common causes of fire door failure, why they occur, and what you can do to remedy them.
» IF YOUR CAR BRAKES HAD A nearly one in three chance of failing, would you still drive? It’ s unlikely, yet nearly a third of fire doors fail inspection because of improper installation. We’ d never accept that kind of risk on the road, so why are we on fire doors?
Installation issues are one of many problems found in fire doors across a range of facilities. Hospitals, colleges, office blocks, and factories all fall foul of these all too prevalent troubles. And it’ s time to be aware, to be vocal, and responsible for improving life safety measures.
Damaged or Missing Door Seals
Seals prevent smoke and heat spread as they expand to fill the gaps between the door and frame. Of the doors inspected in the FDIS 2021 UK Fire Door survey, 37 % of failures were due to seal issues. Common problems include:
• Combined fire and smoke seals painted over
• Damaged or perished brush or blade seals
• Intumescent strips missing or removed
Fire door hardware, like intumescent seals, are low-cost, but crucial to have in place, intact, and inspected.
Passive fire components are often neglected because they seem minor but that doesn’ t mean they don’ t save lives. Even a small defect in a seal can render the door non-compliant.
Improper Installation and Poor Maintenance
The same FDIS survey found that 31 % of inspected fire doors weren’ t properly installed from day one, and 54 % were found to have care and maintenance issues. Left as they are, these doors cannot serve their purpose of providing compartmentation, protecting people, property, and escape routes.
The main concerns of the report include:
• A limited understanding of the role of fire doors
• Insufficient maintenance
• Low levels of knowledge of fire safety responsibilities
Even certified fire door hardware won’ t work if it’ s missing, broken, poorly fitted, or incorrectly maintained. The same applies to the door and frame. It’ s not just about the right specification, it’ s about ensuring everything is fitted to comply with the test evidence and regulations, it works with every operation and is replaced when it’ s damaged or faulty.
Excessive Door Gaps Compromise Safety
Excessive gaps compromise the integrity of a fire door set. Intumescent strips can only expand so far and are rendered ineffective if fire and smoke can pass freely from one side of a door to another.
Fire doors must have gaps between 2 – 4mm at the top and sides, with no more than 10mm at the bottom for fireonly doors, and 3mm for fire and smoke control doors. Common causes of excessive door gaps:
• Dropped or mis-specified hinges causing misalignment or drooping
• Mismatched sizing of door and frame
• Missing or incorrectly specified door seals
Relying on a parachute that opens one in four times isn’ t a risk that anyone would knowingly take. With fire door gaps, being
“ close enough” isn’ t safe either, but 77 % of inspected doors failed because of this easily rectifiable issue.
Even the best fire door and hardware can fail if it’ s not correctly fitted and maintained. Regular visual inspections and physical checks using a gap tester can make the difference.
Why These Failures Still Happen
Some of the key reasons for fire doors failing inspections aren’ t as complicated or technical as you might think. Together, we can all help to overcome these issues:
• Lack of awareness of small faults and their impact
• Time pressure on contractors and maintenance staff
• Compliance fatigue with navigating a wealth of legislation and regulation
• Budget limitations restricting training and resources
• Incorrect product specification and installation
Resolving these longstanding problems comes down to shared responsibility. Small fixes, simple checks, and professional diligence can stop these failures from becoming tragedies.
Would You Risk It? Door gaps, missing or damaged hardware, and improper installation are preventable failures. They’ re not rare, and they’ re not harmless. Why continue to risk it when lives are on the line? Fire door safety doesn’ t need to be complicated: competent installation, regular maintenance, and continued education can prevent failures, and prevent tragedy.
www. doorcontrolsdirect. co. uk
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SEPTEMBER 2025
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