How many hinges are needed on a fire door?

[Guest EtiveFoxw]

Hi
I am trying to find out the regulation for the number of fire door hinges that are needed. We have internal residential fire doors with 2 fire rated hinges on each, is that in compliance with regulations?
Thanks
Etive

[Tom Sutton]

Up to ten years ago, because fire doors are heavy and you do not want then to set or warp, three steel hinges were fitted as standard. However ten years ago a British/European standard was introduced covering single axis hinges called "BS EN 1935: 2002: Building Hardware. Single Axis hinges as relates to Fire doors." which is now the present standard.

The code indicates the suitability of the hinges and if the are suitable for fire doors but you need to study the standard for the full details regarding the number of hinges required but in general three hinges are usually required. Guide to interpreting Markings for Single Axis Hinges.

Check out http://www.firesafe....nd-ironmongery/ for more information on all door furniture.

[Guest Burke]

Hi I have had a loft conversion done and all my doors needed to be changed to a fire door. Our builders have used two hinges per door I have read this is ok and the paperwork that came with the door said two but some websites say 3. can you tell me if two is ok?
Kind Regards

Mrs Burke

[Tom Sutton]

BS EN 1935: 2002: Building Hardware Single Axis Hinges is the current European standard for single axis hinges and being able to understand the CE markings, provided when purchasing hinges, is of some importance. Guide to Interpreting Markings for Single Axis Hinges.

From the guidance,

Door closers increase the loading on door hinges and their rate of wear. For closers without back-check it is normal to allow for this by assuming the effective door mass to be 20 % greater than the actual door mass. For back-check closers the effect is much greater, and the effective door mass is calculated to be 75 % greater. Timber doors fitted with door closers should normally use three or more hinges.

Door manufacturers may recommend the use of only two hinges under special conditions, if experience allows demonstrating adequate performance of the door.

If the paper work with the door stipulates two hinges then it must have bee tested with two hinges and therefore acceptable.

[Guest HollyJon]

Good Afternoon,

I'm having trouble trying to understand the regulations about door hinges on fire safety/resistant doors. I have one contractor saying one thing and another saying another. After reading numerous regulations and standards I'm still unsure of what is need.

Do door hinges on fire doors need to be fire rated? I've been told they need 3 hinges and 75mm x 100m but do not need to be fire rated if they are BS EN 1935 and CE Marked? I've also been told they do not need to be fire rated if the fire doors have smoke seals and in-tumescent strips?

I'm truly confused and wondered if you could help in simply terms rather than grades and 9 nine coding's. :)

Kind regards,

Holly

[Tom Sutton]

Yes Holly they do need to be fire rated and in most cases there should be three hinges but door manufacturers may recommend the use of only two hinges under special conditions.

The hinges should be marked with the BS EN 1935/CE marks and maybe other marks like the Certfire marks which indicates they are fire rated. However the only 100% way of knowing the capabilities of the hinges is to have the HINGE DESIGNATION. (see Guide to Interpreting Markings for Single Axis Hinges.)

Check out http://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-rated-hinges-set-of-3-product-1/

[Guest Petersim]

hi

I'm currently about to fit a bwf fd30 front fire door to my property as it has to be up to regulation standard for council insurance purposes. I'm unsure whether I need to fit 2 or 3 hinges to this door and also may I use a perko style door closer or will it have to be a overhead style closer? if using a perko style closer how do I prove its fire rating for inspection purposes or do I not need to so long as it closes the latched door?

thanks

[Tom Sutton]

The Perko Powermatic Concealed Fire Door Closer is CE marked and Certifire Approved CF370 also complies to BS EN 1154:1997 therefore it is acceptable the other perkos are not.

If it is a genuine bwf fd30 then it should have documentation that will provide you with all the information you require, plus a test certificate. It will instruct you how many hinges and type, which is usually three but occasionally it could be two, again the documentation will state all this.

The test certificates are your proof and you most probably need it.

[Guest Sarah]

Hi - question if an older style fire door with self closer (no certification) only has two hinges, is it good practice to suggest fitting with 3 new fire rated hinges, or is that overkill?

[Tom Sutton]

BS EN 1935 : 2002 states " Timber doors fitted with self closers should normally use three or more hinges, if three hinges are fitted the third hinge should be fitted approximately 200 mm below the top hinge in which position it supports some of of the additional outwards bending moment exerted on the top hinge.

[Guest Oz]

Morning, is there any regulations to say that on a fd30 door the hinges have to be set at 6" down & 9" up + centre hinge in the centre.. One of the Chippys on site has done his doors at 6" down & 6" up (not 9") + centre. Is there a problem with that.

Cheers for any help.

Oz

[Tom Sutton]

Check out http://www.asdma.com/pdf/BPG.pdf page 18/4 you are correct 6" down & 9" up but the centre hinge can be in either of two locations depending on the test/global assessment report.

[Guest Thomas]

Hello, I would like to install double door with no frame and no stop doors, I want to use pivot hinges. One door it's gonna be 450 mm wide. Can do it like that? How to make it fire rated? Is it possible? 

Thank you

[Tom Sutton]

You cannot make it fire rated but you can buy a fire resistant double swing door check it out on the web.

[Guest]

I replaced a traditional panelled door with a half hour fire door using the existing pair of large 125mm heavy gauge existing hinges. They are perfectly adequate as the fire door is no heavier that the original. Do I have to have a third hinge which would be difficult due to matching the radius of movement of the existing.
Kind regards
Ken

[Tom Sutton]

It is usual for at least 3 hinges to be fitted on fire and escape route doors. With fire-resisting doors becoming heavier, there is a practice to fit two hinges at the top of the door with the third hinge at the bottom of the door. It is unsafe to alter the “as tested” position of a hinge on a fire door, without assessment from a suitably qualified authority. One reason for a third hinge is not only to support the door but to prevent warping. 

Check out http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf

[Guest kateesp]

I live in a flat in a converted building (1920s) and have been told I need to have rising butt hinges , intumescent strips and concealed closers on my flat's front door but most of the research I've done says not to use rising butt hinges....help!

[Tom Sutton]

Absolutely no to rising butt hinges and the concealed closer could be a problem depending on the one proposed.

[Guest Wrighty]

Can I ask what is meant that manufactures may recommend the use of two hinges under special conditions, what would the special conditions where two would be acceptable, everything I read suggests fire doors should have at least three hinges, but I've read that the BS EN suggests what I mention above about two can be acceptable under certain conditions, can I just confirm what BS EN refers to that, and what exactly are the special conditions, not having access to any BS EN I'm struggling to find out an answer.

any advice much apprciated

 

[Tom Sutton]

EN 1935 states that timber doors fitted with self closer (S/C) should normally fitted with three or more hinges. There is a notes that says door manufacturers may recommend the use of only two hinges under special conditions if experience allows to demonstrate adequate performance of the door. 

My interpretation would be any doors that use S/C needs three hinges and fire doors to cupboards may use two hinges on the advice of the manufacturer.

[Guest Thank you for that]

On 29 August 2016 at 10:22 PM, Tom Sutton said:

EN 1935 states that timber doors fitted with self closer (S/C) should normally fitted with three or more hinges. There is a notes that says door manufacturers may recommend the use of only two hinges under special conditions if experience allows to demonstrate adequate performance of the door. 

My interpretation would be any doors that use S/C needs three hinges and fire doors to cupboards may use two hinges on the advice of the manufacturer.

 

[Tom Sutton]

Glad to be of assistance.

[Guest Building Control]

one of the main reasons 3 hinges are required is that a door will bow out under fire (test) conditions and therefore fail the requisite fire test. The third hinge limits this tendency

 

[Guest Doorguy]

Hi 

i have a customer who wants a double set of door fd30 to open and fold back to the wall can this happen and what hinge would you recommend. 

[Neil Ashdown MAFDI]

Hi Doorguy,

Assuming these are cupboard doors FDKL. You need to use 'projection hinges' and as its a fire door they need to be CE marked BS EN 1935 compliant fire rated ones. Depending on the size of the doors a minimum of three hinges are required for each leaf.