5 Common Fire Door Fitting Mistakes to Avoid

Last Updated on January 21, 2026 by Admin

Fire doors play a vital role in saving lives. They are one of the most effective tools available to slow the spread of fire and smoke, giving occupants time to evacuate safely. But they only work as intended when installed properly. Unfortunately, many fire doors are fitted incorrectly or modified over time, which weakens their ability to resist fire.

Poor installation doesn’t always mean someone cut corners. In many cases, it’s due to a lack of understanding of how fire doors function or which components are required. Mistakes often go unnoticed until an inspection—or worse, a fire—exposes them.

Below are five of the most common fire door fitting mistakes. Each can compromise the door’s performance in a fire, and most are simple to avoid with the right knowledge.

1. Failing to Understand Each Fire Door Component

A fire door is more than a heavy timber leaf with a certification label. It functions as a complete system, and each component has a specific role.

Intumescent seals expand under heat to block gaps. Smoke seals stop smoke from seeping past. Closers ensure the door shuts automatically. Hinges, latches and glazing must all be tested and certified as part of the full door set.

Problems arise when installers overlook these components. They might fit seals that weren’t tested with the door, skip reading the installation manual or assume any door closer will suffice. Each of these actions weakens the overall fire resistance of the door set.

Fire wardens and safety officers are responsible for identifying such issues. But when a poorly fitted seal or missing component is hard to spot, it’s easy to miss during visual checks. That’s where training becomes essential.

Taking an online fire door installation course provides clear, structured guidance on the first door installation process. It also ensures installers know accepted fire door standards and their duties under UK legislation.

2. Poor Alignment Between Door and Frame

A fire door may look well-fitted and swing freely, but that’s not enough. Correct alignment between the door leaf and frame is essential for fire resistance.

Fire doors are designed with specific tolerances in mind—usually a 3 to 4 mm gap around the edges. Any deviation can cause problems. If the gap is too wide, smoke and heat pass through. If it’s too tight, the door can stick and fail to latch.

Common alignment issues include:

• A frame that’s not installed plumb
• Over-planning the door leaf
• Replacing hinges without recalculating clearances

These can lead to a door that doesn’t seal properly, even if all parts are technically correct. Fire wardens may spot light coming through the edges or notice a door that fails to latch fully, but these issues often go unnoticed during routine checks.

Proper installation involves careful measurement and adjustment. Installers should never rely on guesswork. Instead, they need to measure every gap, test the operation of the door and make sure the fitting matches the manufacturer’s guidance exactly.

Even the smallest misalignment can stop the door from performing as required during a fire.

3. Using the Wrong Components

Every component in a fire door set has been tested together. That includes the leaf, frame, hinges, latch, handles, closer and seals. Change just one of those parts, and the certification is no longer valid.

Unfortunately, this is a common issue. Cost-saving swaps and limited stock availability often lead to:

• Closers with the wrong rating
• Hinges that don’t carry the required fire resistance
• Handles that don’t withstand the temperatures of a fire

These changes might not be obvious visually. A fire door can appear perfectly normal while being dangerously non-compliant. Under UK fire safety legislation, particularly the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, this can be a serious breach of duty for responsible persons.

Fire wardens and building managers should ask detailed questions during inspections. Don’t assume the label tells the full story—check that all visible components match the original specification.

If a component wasn’t made for that exact door set, it shouldn’t be used. Manufacturers supply test evidence and certification for the full assembly, not for random combinations of parts.

4. Skipping Ongoing Checks After Installation

Fire doors aren’t fit-and-forget. Over time, they wear down. Buildings shift. Seals perish. Closers break or are tampered with. Even normal usage can change how the door performs.

Fire doors need regular checks. But many aren’t inspected for years. Others get left propped open, suffer damage or slowly stop latching as intended.

During fire safety checks, wardens may only do a basic open-and-close test. That’s not enough. What’s needed is a proper visual and functional inspection that checks:

• Seal integrity
• Closer operation
• Latch engagement
• Gaps and alignment

Regular maintenance checks should be scheduled at least every 6 months and more often in high-traffic areas. A fire door inspection course can give fire wardens and building managers a clear method for checking each door and logging defects.

The sooner a problem is found, the cheaper and easier it usually is to fix. More importantly, it reduces the risk of the door failing in an emergency.

5. No Paper Trail

A correctly installed fire door must be supported by proper documentation. Labels on the door can fade. Stamps can be scratched or painted over. Without records, there’s no way to verify what was installed, who installed it or whether the right materials were used.

Each door should be accompanied by:

• Product certification
• Installation date
• Installer’s details
• Parts list or spec sheet

This information should be stored as part of the building’s fire safety records. When it’s missing, fire risk assessments may flag the door for replacement, even if it’s still in good condition.

For building managers and safety leads, this mistake leads to unnecessary costs. New doors might be ordered to replace ones that could have passed with documentation. Chasing down installation records months or years later is time-consuming and often fruitless.

The best approach is to keep installation packs organised from the start. Digital backups also help ensure nothing is lost if a physical copy goes missing.

Documentation is essential. Without it, compliance cannot be demonstrated.

A proactive approach is always better than a reactive one. Fire doesn’t wait. Neither should we.

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