Looking after your fire door
Fire doors are designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke – giving people time to escape safely. They’re a vital part of your building’s fire protection.
Our joinery specialists inspect flat doors and communal fire doors to make sure they meet safety standards.
If you live in a flat:
- don’t remove or adjust the door closer
- never leave a fire door open
- report any faults immediately – doors should close fully at all times
Do
- Check your fire door regularly using the tips below
- Report any repairs by calling us on 0300 111 1000 or emailing customerservices@thirteengroup.co.uk
- Contact our building safety team if you need any advice about your fire door
Don’t
- Wedge your fire door open – it needs to close fully to protect you in a fire
- Disconnect your self‑closing device – if it’s slamming or hard to open, let us know and we can adjust it or offer an alternative
- Change your lock to anything other than a thumb‑turn
- Add extra locks to the door
- Paint over the intumescent strips or smoke seals – these help stop smoke and fire spreading
Get to know your fire door
Your flat door has several important safety features. These help slow down fire and smoke, giving you more time to get to safety. Here’s what you should see when you check your door:
- A working self‑closing device that shuts the door fully and securely into the frame
- No visible gaps around the door — you shouldn’t be able to see daylight through the sides or top
- Glazing and beading in good condition, with no cracks, breaks or damage
- At least three hinges, all firmly fixed with every screw intact.
- Smoke seals and intumescent strips fitted around the frame or the door, and in good condition
- A thumb‑turn lock, so you can exit your home quickly without needing a key
- A fire‑rated letterplate that closes properly
What to check on your fire door
Look for a label or plug on the top or occasionally on the side of the door.
If you can see daylight through your fire door, contact the building safety team on buildingcompliance@thirteengroup.co.uk to arrange for a specialist to check the door.
Look for any intumescent seals around the door or frame. Check they’re intact with no sign of damage.
Check all hinges are firmly fixed (three or more of them), with no missing or broken screws.
Check the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking on the floor or the frame.
Know your building’s fire evacuation procedure
If you hear a fire alarm
- Follow your building’s evacuation procedure
- Go to your designated safe place and don’t return to your flat
Know all the exit routes in your building — there may be more than one - Follow the fire safety signage to guide you out
- Make sure you’re in a safe place before calling for help
- Call 999 and ask for fire
If you need any advice about fire safety, contact Thirteen’s Building Safety team or Building Support team.
If you discover a fire in your flat
- Don’t try to tackle the fire yourself
- Leave your flat immediately and close all doors behind you
- Don’t stop to collect personal belongings
- Don’t go back into the building until you’re told it’s safe
If you can’t get out unaided, please tell us — we need to know so we can support you.
Report anything that could be unsafe
Let us know straight away if you spot any faults, including:
- Fire doors that don’t close properly behind you
- Lights that aren’t working
- Fire detectors that are faulty
- Signage that’s damaged or missing
Get in touch
For more information or to report an issue, contact our building safety team.