A fire door is a vital safety measure to protect you and your family from smoke inhalation during a house or commercial building fire. These doors are a legal requirement for many buildings and should be installed by qualified, experienced professionals to ensure compliance with regulations. However, a fire door can be expensive and requires specialised installation. In this article, we explore the cost of fire door installation and some key factors that can influence costs.
The cost of a fire door installation can vary depending on the type of fire door chosen. For example, a residential fire door may be cheaper than one intended for commercial use. It is also worth considering whether the door will need to be installed on stairs, as this will increase costs due to labour, materials, and extra hardware.
Fire doors are designed to restrict the spread of fire and smoke between rooms and other parts of a building, giving you and your family time to escape to a safer area. They are often fitted in homes between the garage and living spaces or the basement and a bedroom, but can also be used to separate other areas.
A fire-rated door is a door that has been tested and certified to withstand a certain amount of heat or flames for a specific period of time, usually 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes. These doors are usually made from a timber frame with intumescent seals. The seals expand to close any gaps or holes in the frame and stop the flow of heat, smoke, and water from room to room.
Installing a fire-rated door can be a complex task and is something that should only be carried out by trained fitters. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely and not make any alterations to the door leaf or frame. In addition to following the instructions, it is important to use the correct hinges. These should be fire-rated, CE marked, or UKCA marked to BS EN 1935 with durability grade 11.
Using the right type of hinge can help minimise damage to the fire door when the hinges are exposed to high temperatures during a fire. Most fire door manufacturers recommend the use of intumescent hinge pads to prevent excessive charring and damage to the hinges, frame, or intumescent seals.
Although it may be tempting to save money by installing your fire door yourself, we would advise leaving this safety-measure installation to a professional, especially as fire doors require precise hanging and special sealing to be compliant. In addition, the door closer should be able to overcome any friction caused by binding on the door or frame in order to prevent any accidents during a fire.
Depending on the type of fire door chosen, it can cost between PS75 and PS300 to have it installed. The price will increase if you need it to be fitted on stairs or if a new opening needs to be cut into a wall.