Short answer: Choosing a fire door starts with the EI60, EI90 or EI120 rating determined by the room type and the fire report, and is completed with a panic bar (EN 1125) or emergency exit lever handle (EN 179) suited to the direction of escape, a door closer (EN 1154) and a smoke seal. The door's performance then depends on an installation with a level frame, complete infill and a continuous intumescent strip, and on regular inspection.
Fire doors are the core element of passive fire protection, protecting escape routes and fire compartments in buildings. Openings in stairwells, escape lobbies, plant rooms and compartment boundaries must be protected by self-closing doors of the required rating. This article explains how to decide room by room when choosing a door, why hardware is at least as important as the door leaf, and which installation details reduce performance. For series information, see our steel fire doors page.
How are a fire door's rating and certification verified?
Fire doors are tested under the EN 1634-1 test regime and classified according to EN 13501-2. In the classification, E stands for integrity, I for insulation and the number for minutes. An EI60 door limits the passage of flame and heat for 60 minutes, EI90 for 90 minutes and EI120 for 120 minutes. For access panels used in service shafts, integrity-only classifications such as E120 are also encountered.
Which rating is required in which room is determined by calculations under the Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (Binaların Yangından Korunması Hakkında Yönetmelik) and by the project's fire report. The current text of the regulation is available on the Legislation Information System (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi). At handover, the test report showing the door's rating, the CE certificate and the door label must be provided. The label remains on the leaf or frame throughout the door's life and is the first thing checked during inspections; painting over or removing it later leads to documentation problems.
Which fire door should be chosen for which room?
As well as the rating, the door type also varies with how the room is used. A hospital corridor that requires vision and a generator room that needs ventilation cannot be solved with the same door. The six series in our catalogue and their typical applications are as follows:
| Series | Rating | Typical room | Reason for selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| FD-S Single (single leaf) | EI60 / EI90 / EI120 | Fire escape stairs, escape corridors, plant rooms | Narrow opening, lever handle or panic bar |
| FD-D Double (double leaf) | EI60 / EI90 / EI120 | Shopping centre escape lobbies, main hospital corridors, factory section passages | Wide evacuation, closing sequence selector |
| FD-V Vision (glazed) | EI60 / EI90 | Hospital corridors, hotel floor lobbies, schools and offices | Vision through fire-resistant glass |
| FD-L Louver (louvred) | EI60 / EI90 / EI120 | Generator rooms, electrical switch rooms, boiler rooms | Ventilation via a louvre that closes in a fire |
| FD-X Shaft (shaft access panel) | E120 / EI60 / EI120 | Service and lift shaft access, technical recesses | Installation in wall recesses |
| FD-SS Stainless (stainless steel) | EI60 / EI90 | Operating theatres, food production, pharmaceuticals and laboratories | AISI 304 surface, hygiene and easy cleaning |
Why is door hardware at least as important as the door leaf?
A fire door does its job when it is closed. It must open easily during an escape and then always close again. Hardware balances these two opposing needs.
Door closer and selector
A hydraulic door closer (EN 1154) returns the leaf to the frame after every use. On double-leaf doors, a selector ensures the leaves close in the correct sequence; if the sequence is disrupted, the leaves catch on each other and the door is left ajar. A fire door left ajar effectively eliminates the compartment.
Panic bar and emergency exit lever handle
On doors on escape routes and those used for mass evacuation, a panic bar (EN 1125) or emergency exit lever handle (EN 179) is used in the direction of escape. A panic bar opens the door in a single movement under body pressure during crowd evacuation. Which hardware is required is determined at the project stage according to the building's occupancy class and occupant load.
Intumescent strip, smoke seal and hold-open device
An intumescent strip expands with heat during a fire to close the gap between the frame and the leaf, while a smoke seal limits the passage of cold smoke. If the door must stay open during the day, a magnetic hold-open device connected to the fire alarm panel is used instead of a wedge; when the alarm sounds, the device releases and the door closes. Access control integration should be designed on the same principle, without preventing the closing function.
What should be considered during installation and periodic inspection?
A tested door will not deliver the same performance if it is not installed as tested. The frame is chosen according to the wall type (concrete or plasterboard), and the gap between the frame and the wall is completely filled with suitable material. The following steps should be followed during installation and handover:
- Checking the wall opening dimensions and that the wall type is compatible with the frame type
- Fixing the frame level and square, keeping the leaf-to-frame gap equal at every point
- Filling the frame-to-wall gap completely
- Verifying that the intumescent strip and smoke seal run continuously
- Adjusting the door closer so that the leaf latches shut when released from any angle
- Testing the selector sequence on double-leaf doors and the panic bar function in the direction of escape
- Adding the label, test report and CE certificate to the handover file
During use, self-closing, smoke tightness and hardware functions should be checked regularly and recorded. Inspection frequency is set according to how intensively the building is used; on high-traffic hospital and shopping centre doors, closer and selector settings drift more quickly.
Note from the field: The situation we see most often during site surveys of existing buildings is fire doors with their closers removed or held open with wedges. This is usually because the door closes too heavily or makes passage difficult; in other words, it stems from incorrect adjustment rather than user habits. Correct closer adjustment or a magnetic hold-open device connected to the fire alarm panel solves this problem permanently. In installation, the most common mistake is fitting a concrete-wall frame to a plasterboard wall and leaving the back of the frame empty.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the rating by budget rather than by room: The rating is a requirement of the fire report; downgrading it causes problems at acceptance.
- Holding the door open with a wedge: This is against the regulations; magnetic hold-open devices are used on doors that need to stay open.
- Changing hardware later: Handles, locks or hinges not assessed together with the door can affect performance.
- Insisting on a door for a wide opening: For wide openings such as warehouse and factory passages, a fire-rated roller shutter may be the better solution; for details, see our article on fire-resistant roller shutter certification.
- Painting over or removing the label: The door's rating can no longer be verified during inspection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an EI60 and an EI120 fire door?
An EI60 door provides integrity and insulation for 60 minutes, an EI120 door for 120 minutes. Which one is required is determined by the room type and the fire report.
Can a fire door be kept open?
Holding it open with a wedge is against the regulations. On doors that need to stay open, a magnetic hold-open device connected to the fire alarm panel is used; when the alarm sounds, the device releases and the door closes automatically.
Is a panic bar mandatory on a fire door?
On doors on escape routes and those used for mass evacuation, a panic bar (EN 1125) or emergency exit lever handle (EN 179) is required in the direction of escape. Which one is used is determined by the building's occupancy class and occupant load.
How long does fire door installation take?
In a prepared wall opening, a single door is usually fitted in a few hours. For multi-door projects, a floor-by-floor installation schedule is shared after the site survey. For other general questions on the subject, see our frequently asked questions page.
Conclusion and next step
The right fire door is the combination of a rating that meets the fire report, a series suited to the room, hardware suited to the escape scenario and an installation carried out as tested. When every link in this chain is documented, the inspection process also runs smoothly. To review the door schedule for your project together and measure the openings on site, send us your free site survey request.
