FD30 vs FD60 fire doors — which do you actually need?

What the rating actually means

The FD number is the minimum number of minutes the door assembly will resist the passage of fire when tested to BS 476 Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1. FD30 means 30 minutes. FD60 means 60 minutes. The rating applies to the complete door assembly — leaf, frame, ironmongery and intumescent components — not the leaf alone.

The S suffix — smoke seals

FD30S and FD60S add cold smoke seals to the intumescent strip. Smoke kills more people than flame in residential fires, so any door protecting a means of escape in sleeping risk premises (HMOs, hotels, care homes, flats) should be FD30S as a minimum.

Where FD30 is required

• Flat entrance doors in residential blocks up to 11m
• Bedroom doors in HMOs and hotels
• Risk rooms (kitchens, plant rooms, electrical cupboards) in most commercial premises
• Most protected corridors and stair enclosures in 2–3 storey buildings

Where FD60 is required

• Flat entrance doors in residential blocks over 11m
• Stair enclosures in buildings over four storeys
• Riser cupboards containing high-risk services
• Compartment walls in larger commercial / industrial premises

How to verify a door on site

Open the door and look at the top edge. A genuine certified fire door has a colour-coded plug or label showing the certification body (BWF Certifire, IFC, Exova, BM TRADA), the rating and a unique reference. No label = no proof of rating, and any defendable fire risk assessment will mark it as non-compliant until evidence is produced.

Why over-spec isn't always better

An FD60 in an FD30 frame doesn't perform as FD60 — it performs as the weakest component. Installing FD60 where FD30 is required wastes money and, if the frame and ironmongery haven't been upgraded to match, can leave the assembly performing worse than a correctly-installed FD30. Match to spec, don't over-spec.