Interior doors

Flush (flat faced doors) are made with a specially kiln dried softwood timber framework.

Increasingly finger-jointed and laminated or engineered material is used to provide straight, knot-free lengths, improving door stability, while a range of surface finishes can be achieved using quality grades of plywoods and veneers, and moulded hardboards, which provide traditional panel door effects. Some patterns are available factory pre-finished.

Interior panel doors (with feature panels, or glazing) are made from solid pine, kiln dried to 10/12% for stability.

Sawmill produced sections eliminate defects at source and high quality sanded finishes allow for post-finishing.

Timber moulded panels are also made from kiln dried timber, eliminating shrinkage.

Exterior doors

Many types of flush and panel doors are available, including feature entrance doors in both softwood and hardwood. Panelled doors have solid timber stiles and top and bottom rails, with solid timber feature panels, although plywood can also be used for panels in some patterns. Glazed panel and multi-panel doors are made using either solid wood glazing bars and individual glass pieces, or from a single piece of glass and solid wood glazing cassette. Always use safety glass. Accredited BWF (British Woodworking Federation) manufacturers offer 10 year guarantees against manufacturing defects.

Fire doors and door sets

Fire doors are engineered safety devices and MUST be fitted and maintained correctly, preferably by trained installers. The required specification for the doors and where they must be used is determined by British Standards and Building Regulations.

They must comply with BS 476 Part 22 and must be fitted using compatible products (frames, seals, hinges, closers and other ironmongery).

Use doors manufactured under the BWF–CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme (see www.bwf.org.uk). Under this scheme doors, glazed doors and frames are supplied by certificated companies. Fire door sets, door leaves and door frames are supplied with a permanent, tamper evident, fully traceable label providing details of manufacturer, certification and fire door rating.

Fire ratings for fire door assemblies (door, door frame and compatible components) and doorsets are in minutes and prefixed by the letters FD; e.g. FD 30 equates to a 30 minute (half hour) fire door or doorset. Common fire door ratings are FD30 and FD60.

Door frames must be compatible with the door leaf in accordance with the door manufacturer’s instructions and should be supplied by the door manufacturer or licensed, certificated frame manufacturer.

Doors with glazed openings must be supplied by a BWF (British Woodworking Federation) manufacturer certified to work on that specific door design and glazed according to the manufacturers’ instructions.

Under no circumstances should any fire door be installed without intumescent fire seals.

Fire door assemblies must be fitted with intumescent strip either in the two sides and the head of the frame or in the top and long edges of the door in accordance with the door manufacturer’s instructions.

Fire doors can be fitted with smoke seals, preventing smoke leakage through frame gaps, glazed openings, letter plates etc. These doors will have a suffix after their initial description, e.g. FD30s and comply with BS 476 part 31:1.

Ironmongery, hinges, closers, locks and latches MUST be CERTIFIRE approved, compatible with the door leaf and fitted in accordance with the door manufacturer’s instructions. Fire doors and their components MUST be checked and maintained on a regular basis.

Cutting an aperture and glazing on-site will invalidate the certification.