Did you know, that well maintained fire doors slow the spread of smoke and fire for at least 30 minutes? But they’re only effective if they’re in good condition and kept closed.
We’ve pulled together some information about why fire doors are so important and how you can spot any issues.
Why are fire doors so important?
Fire doors prevent a fire from spreading into other areas of a building.
Not any door is a fire door. Fire doors need to meet certain specifications. This means it’s really important that you never replace your front door or make changes to it, like changing locks or letterboxes, without consulting us first.
How do I check my fire door is working?
There are five things to check for fire door safety which are…
- Certification – a label to first confirm and show it’s a certified fire door
- Opening – making sure you don’t change the door by adding air grilles or a window
- Gaps and Seals – making sure the gap between the door and the door frame meets the requirement of 4mm and no bigger
- Closers – check all hinges are firmly fixed and the door shuts onto the latch
- Closing properly – check the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking on the frame
If you find any issues or think your fire door is damaged, you should report this to us as soon as possible on 0345 60 20 540.
To report a fire safety concern in your property or scheme that isn’t an emergency, all you need to do is fill out our form, here.
How do you keep my home safe?
All of our properties are fire safety checked before we let them. This includes testing the electrical wiring and ensuring all doors and means of escape are working.
We also have smoke alarms installed across all properties and if you have a gas connection, you will also have Carbon Monoxide alarms (known as CO detectors) in any room that has gas appliances (excluding gas cookers).
It’s really important that you test your alarms in your home at least once a month, for your safety and your neighbours. Read more on our checking your alarms.
If your smoke alarm isn’t working or is missing, please report this to us straight away by calling us on 0345 60 20 540.
We have a specialist team of Fire Risk Assessors who make sure that your building meets fire safety standards and is as safe as possible in the event of a fire.
If you have any concerns or questions about your fire doors, please call our Hub team on 0345 60 20 540. For more information about staying safe at home, take a look at the fire safety information on our website.
