Woodgrain double fire doors
Dark woodgrain double fire doors with overhead closers on both leaves and Fire Door Keep Shut signage.
Fire doors by A&P
A&P is our fire door team. Fire door installation, inspections, maintenance and repairs for landlords, managing agents and commercial buildings.
Our fire door team
A&P Fire Door Specialists and Joiners is the fire door team within Ash & Sons. They install, inspect, maintain and repair fire doors in residential and commercial buildings.
A fire door only works if every part of it does: the leaf, the frame, the seals, the hinges and the closer. A&P’s work is about getting each of those right when a door goes in, and keeping them right afterwards.
As the name says, A&P are joiners as well as fire door specialists. The same team can deal with the frames, linings and surrounding timber that a fire door depends on, and take on general joinery too.
A&P Fire Door Specialists and Joiners
Fire door installation, inspection and repair, and the joinery that goes around them. Enquiries come through Ash & Sons, so contact Lee or Chris to arrange an inspection, repairs or new doors.
Because A&P is part of Ash & Sons, one quote can cover fire doors alongside joinery or maintenance work.
Services from A&P
Fire door installation
Fire doors installed by A&P to the door’s certification and the manufacturer’s instructions, with the right frame, seals, hinges, closer and fire-stopping.
Fire door inspections
Fire door inspections by A&P for landlords, managing agents and businesses. Every door checked, with a clear record of faults and the work needed.
Fire door maintenance and repairs
Fire door repairs by A&P: closers, hinges, seals, gaps and damaged leaves or frames put right with compatible parts, so the door works as intended.
Projects
Fire doors by A&P Fire Door Specialists and Joiners.
Fire doors and the law
A fire door is part of a building’s fire protection. Closed, it holds back fire and smoke long enough for people to get out and for the fire to be contained. That only works if the door is in good condition and closes properly, which is why the law expects fire doors to be maintained and checked.
What a fire door does
A fire door is tested as a complete assembly to resist fire for a set time, usually 30 minutes (FD30) or 60 minutes (FD60). Intumescent strips around the edge swell when heated and seal the gap between the door and frame. Smoke seals limit the spread of cold smoke, which is often the greater danger in the early stages of a fire.
Every part matters. A self-closer that doesn’t shut the door fully, a gap that has grown too wide, a damaged seal or a missing hinge screw can each stop the door doing its job.
Who is responsible
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the “responsible person” accountable for fire safety in non-domestic premises and in the common parts of buildings with more than one home. The responsible person is usually the employer, the owner or whoever controls the premises, such as a landlord or managing agent.
The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep fire safety measures, including fire doors, in efficient working order and good repair. The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that, in buildings with two or more homes, this includes the entrance doors to individual flats.
Checks in residential buildings
In England, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add specific duties. In residential buildings with two or more homes, residents must be given information about fire doors. In buildings with a storey at least 11 metres above ground, the responsible person must also check fire doors at set intervals.
- Fire doors in communal areas: checked at least every three months.
- Flat entrance doors: checked at least once a year, on a best-endeavours basis.
- Residents: told how fire doors protect them, to keep them shut, and to report faults.
What an inspection looks at
Whatever the building, regular checks are the simplest way to keep fire doors working. A typical inspection covers:
- Damage to the door leaf or frame
- Gaps around the leaf, which should be even and within the door’s limits
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals: present, undamaged and not painted over
- Hinges: secure, with no missing screws
- The self-closer: does the door close fully and latch from any open position?
- Glazing, signage and any ironmongery that has been added or removed
- Doors wedged or propped open
Sources
Not legal advice. This is a general summary to help you understand your duties. It is not legal advice and does not cover every building or situation. Your fire risk assessment, and professional advice where you need it, should guide what you do for your building.
Need joinery as well?
Fire doors often come with other joinery: new internal doors, frames and linings, skirting and architrave. CCH Joinery, our joinery partner, can do that work in the same visit.
Get your quote today
Free, no-obligation quotation. Commercial and residential work undertaken.