22 May 2024 8 min read

Fire Door Ironmongery: A Complete Guide

Fire Door Range team·8 min read

Ironmongery — the collective term for hinges, locks, latches, closers, handles, and other hardware fitted to a door — is one of the most common failure points in fire door compliance. A certified fire door leaf hung on non-fire-rated hinges, or fitted with a closer that cannot latch it, is not a fire door at all. It is a piece of timber hanging in a frame. Every hardware component must be individually fire-rated and, crucially, must be compatible with the specific door assembly it is fitted to.

Hinges

Fire doors require a minimum of three hinges, evenly spaced. For FD30 doors, hinges must be CE marked to BS EN 1935 and rated to at least Grade 11. For FD60 doors, Grade 13 hinges are required — these are heavier, more durable, and designed to support the additional weight of a 54mm door leaf. The standard positions are 150mm from the top, 200mm from the bottom, and one centrally between the two. Using only two hinges is a common shortcut that voids the door's fire certification and causes the door to sag over time, widening the gaps and preventing proper closure.

Door Closers

A self-closing device is mandatory on every fire door. The closer must comply with BS EN 1154 and be powerful enough to close and latch the door from any angle of opening. For most applications, a closer rated to power size 3-4 is sufficient, but heavier doors (FD60, large leaves, or doors in windy locations) may require size 5 or 6. Overhead closers are the most common type, but concealed closers and floor springs are also available for applications where aesthetics are a priority. Whatever the type, the closer must be adjusted so the door latches reliably — a door that closes to within 5mm of the frame but does not latch is not compliant.

Locks, Latches, and Handles

Locks and latches must be fire-rated to BS EN 12209 and carry CE marking. The most common specification for internal fire doors is a tubular latch (for lever handles) or a sashlock (for doors requiring a key lock). The latch bolt must engage fully with the strike plate when the door is in the closed position — this is what holds the door shut against the pressure of a fire. Lever handles should comply with BS EN 1906 and be robust enough for the expected traffic level. In escape routes, the handle must be operable without a key from the escape side, in accordance with BS EN 179 (emergency exit) or BS EN 1125 (panic exit).

Letter Plates, Viewers, and Other Penetrations

Any penetration through a fire door — a letter plate, spy viewer, cable pass-through, or signage fixing — must be fire-rated and must have been included in the door's fire test evidence. An unprotected letter plate slot is a direct path for fire and smoke to pass through the door. Fire-rated letter plates incorporate intumescent linings that expand when heated, sealing the opening. If a penetration was not part of the original test, it requires a separate assessment or a fire door-specific product with its own test evidence. The golden rule: if it was not tested, it should not be there.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What ironmongery is essential on a fire door?

The essential hardware on a self-closing fire door is hinges, a controlled door closer, and a latch or lock, supported by intumescent and smoke seals. Letterplates, vision panels, signage, and panic or emergency exit devices may also be required depending on the door's location and use, and every component must fall within the door's tested and certified scope.

Does fire door ironmongery have to be certified?

Yes. Each load-bearing item, such as hinges, the closer, and the lock or latch, should be CE or UKCA marked, tested to the relevant product standard, and ideally third-party certified, for example under Certifire, BM TRADA, or IFC. Fitting hardware outside the door's tested scope, such as non-approved ironmongery on a BWF-CERTIFIRE door, can invalidate the certification of the whole door assembly.

How many hinges does a fire door need and to what standard?

A fire door normally requires a minimum of three hinges, and they should be CE or UKCA marked to BS EN 1935 with the correct fire classification for the door. Heavier doors may need additional or higher-grade hinges, and any hinge intumescent pads specified in the door's certification must be fitted behind the blades.

Are door closers a legal requirement on fire doors?

Fire doors that are required to be self-closing must have a controlled closing device that fully closes and latches the door from any angle. The closer should be CE or UKCA marked to BS EN 1154 (or BS EN 1155 for electromagnetic hold-open devices), and Approved Document B references a minimum closer power size of EN3 for fire doors.

Do you need intumescent pads behind fire door hinges and locks?

You should follow the door's certification, which for many timber FD30 and FD60 doors specifies intumescent protection behind hinge blades and around the lock case, forend, and strike plate. Typically this is around 1mm of intumescent material for FD30 and 2mm for FD60, but always use the thickness and type stated in the door manufacturer's fire-test evidence.

How often must fire doors and their ironmongery be checked?

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in relevant multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres tall the responsible person must carry out quarterly checks of fire doors in communal areas and annual best-endeavours checks of flat entrance doors. Checks should cover certification, gaps of around 4mm or less, intact intumescent and smoke seals, secure hinges with no missing screws, and that the door closes fully onto the latch.