Fire door frames in Braintree, done to the evidence
From the CM7 postcode district outwards, we take on fire door frames across Braintree for homes, blocks and workplaces.
Fire doors in Braintree protect escape routes in care homes, schools and low-rise blocks of flats alike. We adapt the programme to the building and its occupants, never the standard of the installation.
In older buildings the frame can be the weak point even where the leaf is sound, so we check it on every Braintree survey. We photograph every frame we fix in Braintree before the architraves go on, so the hidden work is on record.
BS 8214:2026 and the frame-to-wall gap
The 2026 revision of BS 8214 strengthened its guidance on sealing the gap between the frame and the surrounding structure, listing material types such as stone wool, mastic and fire-rated foam, and putting the emphasis on using what the evidence supports. We fill and seal that gap with materials covered by the doorset's or sealant's test evidence and photograph it before the architraves go back on.
As standard, the work covers:
- Fixing at specified centres with packing
- Hardwood or certified frames to suit the door
- Architraves and making good
- Frame-to-wall gap sealing with evidenced materials
The regulations behind fire doors in Braintree
The rules that apply to fire doors in Braintree are England's. The responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must keep fire doors in non-domestic premises and the common parts of flats in working order; the Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that this includes flat entrance doors onto common parts.
Where a Braintree block is above 11 metres, regulation 10 of the 2022 regulations means communal doors are checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually on a best-endeavours basis. Replacement doors must also satisfy the Building Regulations, with Approved Document B as the guidance most building control bodies work from.
Where fire door frames fit in Braintree
The need for fire door frames usually arises in older blocks of flats or schools, and sometimes offices. Each has its own pressures, such as residents at home or a building that must stay open, so we plan the sequence of work in Braintree to keep escape routes protected throughout.
The steps on a Braintree installation
- Remove architraves and inspect frame fixing
- Decide repair, re-fix or replace
- Prepare the opening and fit the frame
- Pack and fix at specified centres
- Seal the frame-to-wall gap
- Photograph, fit architraves and make good
Budgeting for fire door frames in Braintree
If you need a budget figure first, the guide for fire door frames is £250–£600 per frame replaced, fixed and sealed, ex VAT. We firm that up after a survey, pricing each door separately so you can see where the money goes.
Covering Braintree and nearby
Neighbouring towns such as Witham, Chelmsford, Maldon and Sudbury are covered too, so clients with several buildings can use one installer and one evidence format.
Common questions
Is Braintree within your coverage area?
It is. We cover Braintree in Essex and neighbouring towns such as Witham. There is no charge for the survey.
Can you work from an existing inspection report for my Braintree building?
Yes. Send it over and we can often price straight from it, then confirm on site. We report back against the same door references so you can close actions off.
Can I use expanding foam around a fire door frame?
Only a fire-rated foam with evidence for that use and gap size. Ordinary expanding foam is not suitable.
What is the frame-to-wall gap?
It is the space between the door frame and the surrounding wall, normally hidden by the architrave. If it is not filled with a suitable fire-resisting material, fire and smoke can pass around the door.