Kevin Underwood is technical director at the British Woodworking Federation (BWF)
Balancing fire safety compliance with preserving architectural heritage can be a complex challenge. Across the UK, thousands of older residential blocks of flats, converted period properties and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) rely on timber fire doors to maintain essential safe escape routes, compartmentation and smoke control. However, assessing their suitability is not always straightforward.
Managing the regulatory landscape
An important starting point is that building regulations are not applied retrospectively. A change in regulations does not automatically mean that every existing fire door must be replaced. However, this does not remove the need to assess whether doors remain suitable for their intended role.
New building work and work involving a material change of use must meet the relevant building regulations. Replacing fire doors can also constitute building work where the replacement is a material alteration affecting the building’s fire safety. Housing managers therefore need to establish the requirements applicable to proposed work before commissioning it.
The government’s Approved Document B (ADB) guidance sets out one way of meeting building regulations in ordinary circumstances, but it is not the only route. Where an alternative approach is proposed, those responsible should seek agreement with the relevant building control body at an early stage. This is particularly important where heritage considerations influence the options available.
Understanding the evidence
Missing modern certification paperwork should prompt investigation, rather than automatically assuming a door never had supporting evidence of fire resistance.
British Standard Codes of Practice have recognised fire doors’ contribution to building fire safety performance for decades. For example, guidance published in 1962 recommended that entrance doors opening from corridors into flats in tall buildings should provide half an hour’s fire resistance in conjunction with their frames and that they should be self-closing.
Earlier standards also described fire-check flush doors and wood and metal frames. This standard specified two types of flush door demonstrated by testing to provide “an effective barrier to fire for half an hour and one hour respectively”.
Some doors manufactured many years ago may have had supporting evidence when installed. This highlights why it’s vital to check any available records, inspect the door’s current condition and review the building’s overall fire strategy plans and risk assessments.
Deciding whether to upgrade or replace
When an assessment identifies concerns, the next step is to determine the appropriate intervention. In significant historical buildings, fire safety and conservation considerations should inform the decision together.
In 2021, the Institution of Fire Engineers’ Special Interest Group for Heritage Buildings published its Guide to the Fire Resistance of Historic Timber Panel Doors. The guide examines the potential conflict between fire safety regulators and conservators, and encourages both parties to consider the building’s fire strategy, relevant fire safety risk assessments, the heritage value of retaining existing doors and tested options for upgrading them without compromising safety.
When managing older housing stock, it makes sense to bring in experts from the start. It’s important not to let the building’s history distract from safety issues or jump straight to replacing doors until the facts and options are weighed up.
Any proposed upgrade needs a sound basis for the performance being claimed. Equally, a replacement decision should account for the door’s role within the building, rather than considering the door in isolation.
Maintaining performance over time
Whether an existing door is retained, upgraded or replaced, it should perform as required in the event of a fire, in line with the building’s fire strategy and fire safety risk assessments.
Regular inspections and maintenance remain essential. A decision that a door can be retained is not a permanent guarantee, and installing a replacement does not end the need for ongoing attention.
Housing teams should ensure that inspection findings inform actions and that any completed maintenance is recorded. Connecting assessment, intervention and future inspection helps maintain continuity as responsibility passes between staff, contractors and organisations.
Keeping a record of decisions
Information about fire doors should be created, retained and updated throughout the building’s life. This includes original supporting evidence, where available, alongside records of inspections and maintenance.
These records help explain the basis for decisions to retain, upgrade or replace a door and give future assessors and maintenance teams a clearer understanding of previous work. The information forms part of the golden thread of fire safety information and is particularly relevant to duty holders under the Fire Safety Order 2005 and Building Safety Act 2022.
Managing fire doors in older buildings is never a one-off job. It requires close attention to evidence, including making sensible decisions about proportionate upgrades, regular checks and long-term record-keeping. This keeps residents protected and the building’s historic character intact.