Fire Door Installation & Replacement in North West London

Why is a fire door more than the door itself?

A fire door only performs as a complete assembly, so the leaf is just one part of it. Fire tests are carried out on a whole doorset: a particular leaf in a particular frame, with named seals, hinges, latch and closer. The LACORS fire safety guide for existing housing says the doorset on site should be identical to the one in the test report, and that variations in any detail may affect how it performs.

So a fire door fitted badly is not really a fire door. Hang a rated leaf in a thin frame with a 7mm gap and a closer that stops short of the latch, and smoke reaches the escape route early. The label on its top edge changes nothing.

• Leaf and frame: the rated core and a frame at least as substantial as the tested one
• Intumescent strips: they swell in heat and close the gap round the leaf
• Smoke seals: brush or blade seals that stop cold smoke; the S in FD30S means they are required
• Hinges: three per leaf, of a type suitable for fire doors
• Self-closer and latch: the door has to shut and hold itself shut without help
• Glazing and letter plates: fire-rated, or the door is weaker than its label

Should I buy a certified doorset or just a new fire door leaf?

A complete certified doorset is the safer choice for new work, and a leaf on its own suits only a frame that is sound and substantial. LACORS says that when new fire doors are provided, ideally an entire doorset should be fitted. A new leaf in an existing frame is acceptable only where the frame is sound, in good condition and no smaller in material and dimensions than the frame in the test report. A 1930s semi turned into a house share often has thin softwood linings that rarely meet that bar.

A newer purpose-built block often has frames worth keeping. We check each frame before we price. Upgrading an ordinary door to fire-resisting is a last resort. LACORS calls it generally impractical and uneconomic, and accepts it mainly where original doors matter, as in a listed building. It needs an assessment report for that door and a tested upgrading method. Hollow egg-box doors and non-fire-rated glazed doors are not candidates at all.

What gap should a fire door have, and how is it checked?

The gap at the head and sides of a closed fire door should never be more than 4mm, which the government's fire door guidance describes as the industry standard. The gap at the bottom can be larger. Harrow's HMO standard caps it at 8mm, and fire services quote up to 8mm as not uncommon. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue suggest a £1 coin, about 3mm thick, as a feel for the right size.

We set the gaps with a gauge, not by eye. A door planed hard to clear a sagging frame ends up with 6mm on the lock side, so the fix is usually re-packing the frame or rehanging. Any trimming of a new leaf stays within the manufacturer's stated limits.

Who has to check fire doors in a block of flats?

The responsible person for the building, usually the freeholder or managing agent, checks the fire doors under regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in force since 23 January 2023. Every block with two or more flats and shared escape routes has to tell residents to keep fire doors closed, leave closers alone and report faults. Where the top storey is above 11 metres, two fixed checks apply. Fire doors in the communal areas must be checked at least every 3 months. Flat entrance doors must be checked at least every 12 months, on a best-endeavours basis, with a record of attempts to get access.

The government's guidance says these checks should not need a specialist. Any repair work they turn up must be done by a competent contractor as soon as reasonably practicable. That repair work is where we come in. Where the lease makes a flat entrance door yours, the guidance expects you to confirm a replacement is fire-resisting and was installed by a competent person. We give you the product details and photos to send.

What do Harrow and Brent HMO licences ask of fire doors?

Both councils work from the LACORS guide, Housing: Fire Safety (August 2008), and Harrow adds its own written specification. Harrow's HMO standards ask for FD30S doors to the kitchen, lounge, dining room and every bedroom. The doors are to BS 476-22, with installation to BS 8214, on three hinges to BS EN 1935, with gaps within 4mm at the head and stiles and 8mm at the threshold. Closers should be to BS EN 1154. Harrow accepts Perko chain closers but does not recommend them. Brent's HMO licence conditions require all fire precautions, fire doors included, to be maintained in full working order at all times.

They point to the LACORS guide for the standard. Where a house falls below that standard, Brent asks to be told of the alterations. For a Barnet HMO, read your own licence conditions, because we have not checked Barnet's wording on fire doors. LACORS also sets the ground rules on closers and signs. Doors to bedsits and flats within a building always need self-closers, and power size 3 usually suits FD30 doors. Fire doors on escape routes and to shared kitchens in HMOs should be marked 'Fire door keep shut', while signs on ordinary room doors in a home are called unnecessary.

What usually goes wrong with fire doors in rented property?

Most failing fire doors were once fine and have been worn or altered by daily use. These are the faults we see most.

• Closer removed, disconnected or slackened because a tenant found the door heavy
• Seals painted over at the last redecoration, so they cannot expand or seal
• A new lock or spy hole cut in, with the old holes left open
• A swollen leaf after a leak that now binds and stops short of the latch
• Hinge screws pulled out of a soft frame, so the door drops and the gaps open up
• An original door swapped for a standard one during a refurbishment
• Clear glass fitted to replace a cracked fire-rated vision panel

Repair or replace: how is the call made?

We repair a fire door when the leaf and frame are sound and the fault is in a part that can be replaced like for like. A closer, a run of seals, a hinge or a latch can all be renewed to the door's specification. We replace when the leaf has no label and no traceable evidence, when the core is damaged or delaminated, or when the gaps cannot be brought within limits without butchering the door.

If two quotes differ widely, check whether one is for doorsets and the other for leaves only. Check too whether closers, seals and glazing are included.

What paperwork should you have after the work?

You should end up with a record of what was fitted to each opening, because that is what a council officer or freeholder will ask for. A label or plug on the top edge of the leaf identifies a certificated fire door, and we photograph it once the door is hung. Our record lists each door by room, its rating and label, the hinges, seals and closer used, the gaps measured and the closing test.

Some assessors, insurers or freeholders ask for a third-party accredited installer and that scheme's certificate. If yours does, tell us at the quote stage. We do not issue inspection certificates.

What affects the price of fire door work?

The biggest factor is whether each opening needs a complete doorset or can take a new leaf in its existing frame, since a full doorset means removing the old lining and making good the wall and architrave. After that come the number of doors, any glazing or fanlight work, the type of closer, and whether the leaves arrive factory-finished or need painting.

Doorsets made to measure for an odd-sized opening cost more, and take longer, than standard sizes. In a block, access, parking and the hours the managing agent allows also change the time on site.

Certificates and defined jobs are a fixed price confirmed before we attend; repairs are charged by the hour, with the rate and an estimate confirmed before we attend.

Where we fit fire doors

We fit and repair fire doors from Harrow, Kenton, Stanmore and Edgware out to Wembley, Kingsbury, Pinner, Ruislip, Mill Hill and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Much of this work is in interwar semis and Victorian terraces that have become house shares, where the original panelled doors and fanlights need replacing with rated doorsets.

The rest is in purpose-built blocks, mostly flat entrance doors and communal doors after a managing agent's check. Licence rules differ between Harrow, Brent and Barnet, even on the same road, so tell us the council when you enquire.

Carpentry & Joinery by area: Carpenters in Harrow, Carpenters in Kenton, Carpenters in Stanmore, Carpenters in Edgware, Carpenters in Bushey, Carpenters in Colindale, Carpenters in Hendon, Carpenters in Mill Hill, Carpenters in Northolt, Carpenters in Northwood, Carpenters in Pinner, Carpenters in Ruislip and Carpenters in Wembley.

What we will not do

We do not carry out certified fire door inspections or surveys, and we do not write fire risk assessments. For a formal inspection report, use a third-party certified fire door inspector; for the assessment itself, a competent fire risk assessor. We will then carry out the joinery actions they list. Fire-stopping in walls and ceilings away from the door, and alarm system design, are separate trades.

Why people trust us

• Electrical or plumbing items on the list go to a registered electrician or one of our plumbers, on the same visit where we can
• A walk-in office on Kenton Lane, not a serviced address
• A written specification, so you know what is included and what would count as an extra
• A time slot rather than a morning-or-afternoon window
• Work photographed before and after, and reported
• We tell you when you do not need something we sell

We are building a review profile under this name and would rather show you none than borrow someone else's. Ask us for references from landlords and we will put you in touch.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, fire door guidance (updated 8 August 2025)
• legislation.gov.uk: Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 (fire doors)
• LACORS (hosted by CIEH): Housing, Fire Safety, guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (August 2008)
• Harrow Council: HMO conditions and amenity standards (fire doors)
• Brent Council: conditions for the mandatory and additional HMO licensing scheme
• Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service: fire doors, advice for housing landlords

Last reviewed October 2026 by EliteShires Property Services.