Certification testing of timber fire doors
To determine the FD rating of fire doors, the manufacturers have their fire doors assessed by subjecting them to a test procedure as specified in BS 476-22:1987 or BS EN 1634-1:2014. Tests are made on complete fire door sets: ie. the fire door and door frame with all the requisite hardware (e.g. locks, latches, hinges, etc). The door set, as it is also known, is fixed in a wall representing its use in practice. The test procedure is fully described in the Standard and consists of exposing one face of the door to the heat conditions anticipated in a fire while observing the door for stability and integrity. The Standard requires the tests to be carried out with the upper part of the door under a small positive pressure, to simulate the conditions likely to occur in a fire. It also provides an objective method of establishing the loss of integrity of a fire door by the use of a combustible fibrous pad on the unexposed side of the door to see when it ignites. As a fire door should be tested from each side to establish its performance with either face exposed to fire conditions, two specimens are required. It is reasonable to assume that all fire doors and door frames manufactured to the same specification as the two specimen doors and frames will then achieve the same fire resisting properties.

Our Testing Standards
The following is a list of documents relevant to timber fire doors BS 476: – 20: 1987 Fire tests on building materials and structures. Methods for determination of the fire resistance of elements of construction (general principles)
BS 476 – 22: 1987 Fire tests on building materials and structures. Methods for determination of the fire resistance of non-loadbearing elements of construction
BS 476: – 23: 1987 Fire tests on building materials and structures. Methods for the determination of the contribution of components to the fire resistance of a structure
BS 476: – 31.1: 1983 Fire tests on building materials and structures. Method of measuring smoke penetration through doorset and shutter assemblies – method of measurement under ambient temperature conditions.
BS 8214:2014 Code of practice for fire door assemblies
BS EN 1634-1:2014 Fire resistance and smoke control tests for door, shutter and openable window assemblies and elements of building hardware. Fire resistance tests for doors, shutters and openable windows which is an alternative for BS 476 – 22: 1987

NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening
UL1784 - Standard for Air Leakage Tests of Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives
UL555S - Standard for Smoke Dampers
UL555 - Standard for Fire Dampers