A front door on a flat within a property is legally required to be a fire door in accordance with Building Regulations. The components of a fire door can be checked via the (FAQ above)
The door will have an identifying certification label on the top, a minimum of three hinges and close firmly into the latch from a half-open position.
It is important to know if your door is a fire door if you are planning to make any alterations or modifications to the door. If you install non-fire-rated hardware on a fire door, the entire door opening will lose its fire rating. For example, non-fire-certified locks are not built to withstand the heat and/or pressure created by fire and could fail, meaning the door could blow open allowing the fire to quickly pass through and into another area of the building which would otherwise have received some protection.
The Responsible Person in a building is in charge of ensuring that fire doors comply with regulations. In commercial properties, the Responsible Person may be the owner, landlord or occupier. In shared premises, there could be more than one Responsible Person and these people must work together to ensure they meet all relevant requirements of the regulations.
