Listed Building Doors

DOORS/FRAMES NEEDING TO BE RETAINED FOR AESTHETIC REASONS E.G. LISTED BUILDINGS OR EXISTING BUILDING OF SUBSTANTIAL CONSTRCTION.

NB The upgrading of non-fire-resisting door assemblies should be avoided wherever possible. The practice is generally impractical and uneconomic and is reliant upon strict adherence to an approved specification and upon a high standard of workmanship. Replacement with suitable, purpose designed and tested doorset constructions is always preferable. However, it is accepted that for aesthetic reasons it may be necessary to undertake upgrading rather than replacement. This will apply in buildings of special architectural interest and certainly in listed buildings where it is important to maintain the appearance or original features of the door. In non-listed buildings where there is no legal requirement to maintain the features of the door, property owners may still want to do so for aesthetic reasons. Whilst undesirable from a practical and fire safety viewpoint, upgrading may be acceptable subject to strict conditions. It is recognized that in some existing buildings of substantial construction the requirement to fit an entire doorset construction may cause practical difficulties. If this is the case it may be possible to fit new fire doors to existing frames. This will, however, only be acceptable if the frames are of sound construction, in good condition, and of material and dimensions not less than those of the frame detailed in the test report There is no one size fits all method of upgrading existing doors and the solution chosen will depend on the door construction, condition, situation and requirements. Techniques that have been successfully used in the past include facing the door leaf with a non-combustible board, sandwiching, intumescent paper, intumescent paints and varnishers.