Choose escape door hardware for the people using it
Explain who will use the escape route before selecting panic or emergency exit hardware.
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News & Blog
Fire door developments explained, with practical guidance for installers and specifiers.
A fire door needs to work for the people using it
Consider everyday access needs alongside reliable fire-door operation, before the installer is left to resolve a design problem.
Read articleFire door openings: coordinate the partition before it is built
Before finishing a fire-door opening, resolve both its support and the junction between the frame and partition. This revised article removes reliance on the inaccessible FIS partitioning guide and uses directly checked public sources, with practical suggestions clearly separated from manufacturer guidance.
Read articleReplacing a fire door? Plan protection before taking it out
A practical article about the period when an existing fire door is taken out of service during replacement in an occupied office. The takeaway is to agree protection, work sequencing and an overrun response before removal—not simply specify the finished door.
Read articleHistoric doors: resolve fire safety and listed building consent before alterations
Proposed FDP-016: before commissioning alterations to historic doors in an English listed building, coordinate the fire-safety assessment with the heritage assessment and resolve the consent position. A practical article about deciding the intervention—not a replacement-component guide or an argument for retaining unsuitable doors.
Read articleFire door hold-open systems: check the alarm connection, not just the closer
A distinct practical article about checking the connection between the fire alarm and a held-open fire door—not merely whether the door closes when locally released. It asks specifiers and installers to agree the intended response, responsibilities and coordinated testing. Existing guidance, not a new September requirement.
Read articleOlder fire doors: check for asbestos before disturbing the opening
A distinct educational article about concealed asbestos in older fire doors and surrounding construction. The takeaway is to match asbestos investigation to the materials the proposed work will disturb, rather than treating an existing management survey as clearance for intrusive work. Draft only.
Read articleFire door access: specify the clear opening, not just the leaf size
A practical article about specifying the usable passage through a fire door rather than relying on its leaf size. It explains how installers and specifiers can coordinate opening dimensions, approach space and the proposed doorset before ordering. Existing England guidance, not a new rule.
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Check fire door installer competence for the actual job
Match an installer’s training, experience and supervision to the fire door work they will actually carry out.
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Protect fire doors before they are fitted
Plan delivery and suitable storage before timber fire doors arrive on a busy construction or refurbishment site.
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BS 8214 has changed so check your fire door specification
BS 8214 was revised in March 2026. Practical steps for specifiers and installers to check old templates and resolve conflicting document versions before work starts.
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Fire Door Safety Week 2026 — turn a reported fault into a completed repair
A practical way for installers, specifiers and building teams to follow reported fire-door faults through to a clear repair outcome.
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FIRAS and Certifire explained for fire door projects
Understand the difference between contractor certification and product certification, and what to check for your project.
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Fire door changes in 2029: what should you check now?
What England’s forthcoming classification guidance change means for project planning, specifications and door documents.
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