Do you need fire door seals on final exit door?

[Guest BarryAve]

Can you please advise me if fire door seals should be fitted to a final exit fire door, as logic tells me no, because if the seals swell in heat the door would not open and trap people in a fire.
Also could you please advise me if there is a minimum width of an final escape door.
Regards
Barry

[Tom Sutton]

You are right about the door seals on final exit doors, but not for the reason you stated it is because final exit door do not need to be fire resistant. The heat required to operate the seals nobody could exist in the area so they would not be trying to get through the door. The width of the door depends on the number of people who would be required to use it in an emergency. For more information on means of escape got to http://www.firesafe.org.uk/basic-means-of-escape-from-fire/

[Couvre-Feu]

Tom some final exit doors need to be fire resisting where they lead onto or under external escapes with people escaping from above.

[Tom Sutton]

I agree fully but as a general rule, final exits doors usually do not need to be FR and there is bound to be other exceptions to the rule.

[Guest Charlie]

Hi quick question with regards to fire exits. Do they have to have smoke seals? Also does the glass have to be fire rated glass? 

[AnthonyB]

Usually not if to open air unless an extenal stair or similar escape passes close by (or the door is onto it on any other than the top floor)

[Tom Sutton]

Any glazing in a fire door has to meet the same standard as the fire door.

[Guest Red Adair]

Quesion please?

Does it matter if final exit doors are not a good fit if they open directly into a place of safety and there are no other considerations?  For example, have a gap at the bottom?

Also, could I have the legal reference please for the requirement for the intumescent/smoke seals  on final exit doors if opening below an escape staircase?

Thanks,

[Tom Sutton]

Final exit door do not need to be fire resistant door in most cases, therefore the gaps are not specified. Any final exit doors within certain distances of an external fire escape need to be FD30 fire doors, Check out https://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ depending if it is an office, shop, factory etc look at the appropriate guidance.    

[Guest peter]

I work in a school and in the kitchen there is a fire exit door that leads to open space, does this need to be a fire rated door ?

[AnthonyB]

Not unless there's an external escape stair nearby or an external escape pathway that you can only get to safety by passing the door and would be within a metre or two max if it.

[Guest External doors]

Hi, does an external fire door need intumescent seals, I know the fire exit door doesn’t but this double door leads out onto a communal walk way 

[AnthonyB]

Is there an external stair adjacent?
Is the walkway only allowing escape in one direction so you have to pass the door?

Is the walkway narrow so you have to pass by the door or within a metre of it so there would be no avoiding any smoke/flame/heat?

 

If the answer to any of these is yes then the external door should be a self closing fire door.