A double-leaf fire doorset — commonly called double fire doors or a pair — is two certified fire door leaves hung in a single opening, meeting at a central meeting stile and tested and certified together as one pair. The pairs we will supply span the FD30 to FD120 range, selected to match the compartment the opening serves. As with any fire door, the rating describes integrity (FD/E to BS EN 1634-1, classified under BS EN 13501-2) rather than insulation (EI); where a specification also calls for insulation, EI classification evidence is required. The single most important rule for a pair is evidential: a single-leaf test does not, on its own, prove a pair, because a pair introduces a second leaf and a meeting stile that a single-door test never saw.
Every pair we supply will be manufactured as a complete certified unit under a third-party scheme — both leaves, the frame, the meeting-stile detail, the seals and the coordinating hardware tested together, not two single leaves hung face to face. The meeting stile is the critical junction: whether rebated, astragalled or square (butt-jointed), it carries intumescent protection to seal the central joint under heat, with cold smoke seals added where restricted smoke leakage is required. Each leaf is a fire door leaf in its own right, so each carries a self-closing device to BS EN 1154; where the meeting stiles are rebated or the pair latches or uses flush bolts, a door coordinator (sequence selector) to BS EN 1158 holds back whichever leaf was released first so the leaves always close in the correct order. On an equal pair the two leaves are matched; on a leaf-and-a-half (unequal) pair a wider active leaf is paired with a narrower inactive leaf held shut top and bottom by fire-rated flush bolts to BS EN 12051 — all within the certified scope, with achievable leaf widths confirmed against the certified field of application rather than assumed.
Glazed pairs are available where the certified design permits, with factory-fitted fire-rated vision panels within the certified field of application and no site cutting of apertures. We will confirm achievable sizes, glazing, meeting-stile detail and hardware at enquiry against the pair's certified field of application, and each doorset will be delivered with its certification evidence and installation instructions aligned to BS 8214, ready for the fire door register and Regulation 38 handover. The third-party certification scheme and scope, and lead times, will be published at launch.
Specification
| Fire resistance | 30 to 120 minutes' integrity (FD30-FD120; broadly E30-E120 under BS EN 13501-2) — integrity, not insulation (EI); tested and certified as a pair |
| Leaf configuration | Equal-leaf pair (two matched leaves) or leaf-and-a-half (unequal) pair with a wider active leaf and a narrower inactive leaf, within the certified scope |
| Meeting stile | Central meeting stile — rebated, astragalled or square (butt-jointed) — carrying intumescent protection per the certificated design; the critical junction of a pair |
| Self-closing | A self-closing device to BS EN 1154 on each leaf, so both leaves re-form the fire barrier after use |
| Door coordinator | Door coordinator (sequence selector) to BS EN 1158 where the meeting stiles are rebated or the pair latches or uses flush bolts, ensuring the correct closing sequence |
| Inactive leaf | Inactive leaf of a leaf-and-a-half pair secured top and bottom with fire-rated flush bolts to BS EN 12051 |
| Core | Solid timber-based core (or steel construction at higher ratings) as covered by the doorset's certification scope |
| Seals | Intumescent seals to head, jambs and meeting stile per the certificated design; cold smoke seals added where smoke control is required |
| Testing route | BS 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1, classified to BS EN 13501-2 on the European route; tested and classified as a pair |
| Smoke variant | 's' variant with cold smoke seals (European smoke classes Sa/S200 on the EN route) |
| Glazing options | Factory-fitted fire-rated vision panels within the certified field of application; glazed pairs where the certified design permits; no site cutting of apertures |
| Acoustic options | Acoustic-rated variants available per the certified design; Rw performance stated on the doorset specification against a named test report |
| Sizes and configurations | Achievable leaf widths and overall opening confirmed at enquiry against the certified field of application; no assumed sizes and no site cutting of apertures |
| Ironmongery | CE/UKCA-marked hardware within the certification scope: hinges to BS EN 1935, closers to BS EN 1154, coordinator to BS EN 1158, flush bolts to BS EN 12051, compatible locks and latches |
| Third-party certification scheme | Published at launch |
| Lead times | Published at launch |
Typical applications
- Cross-corridor and compartment-line doors in wide openings
- Lobby and circulation doors in residential, commercial and healthcare buildings
- Openings where beds, trolleys, stock or plant must pass through (leaf-and-a-half)
- Communal and back-of-house double doors where a pair suits the traffic and the width
- Riser and plant-room access where a double-leaf configuration is specified within the certified scope
- Reception and entrance doors on protected corridors where fire resistance and traffic both matter
Options
- Equal-leaf pairs and leaf-and-a-half (unequal) pairs within the certified scope
- Rebated, astragal or square meeting-stile detail per the certified design
- Door coordinator to BS EN 1158 for rebated or latching pairs
- Fire-rated flush bolts to BS EN 12051 securing the inactive leaf top and bottom
- Glazed pairs with fire-rated vision panels within the certified field of application; no site cutting of apertures
- Cold smoke control ('s') variant
- Acoustic-rated construction; Rw stated on the doorset specification against a named test report
- Self-closing devices to BS EN 1154; electromagnetic hold-open options to BS EN 1155, with actuation to BS 7273-4, where the fire strategy permits
- Veneer, laminate, paint-grade and primed finishes
- BS 5499 'Fire door keep shut' signage
Not sure which rating you need?
See fire door ratings explained and FD30 vs FD60: which rating do you need? — or run the compliance checker to find your legal duties.
We will supply FD30 to FD120 pairs doorsets on their own or installed to BS 8214 with full handover evidence.
Fire door supply →Frequently asked questions
What is a double-leaf fire doorset?
A double-leaf fire doorset — double fire doors, or a pair — is two certified fire door leaves hung in one opening, meeting at a central meeting stile and tested and certified together as a pair. Approved Document B is explicit that a fire doorset 'may have one or more leaves'. The rating (FD30 to FD120) describes integrity, broadly E30 to E120 under BS EN 13501-2, not the insulated EI class, and it belongs to the whole configuration as tested — both leaves, the meeting stile, the seals and the coordinating hardware.
Can a pair of fire doors use the same certificate as a single fire door?
No. A pair adds a second leaf and a meeting stile that a single-leaf test never included, so a single-door certificate does not prove a pair. Approved Document B requires test evidence to be applicable to the complete installed assembly. Every pair we supply will be tested and certified as a pair, with its meeting-stile detail, seals and coordinating hardware included in the evidence.
Do both leaves of a double fire door need a self-closer?
Yes. Each leaf of a fire door pair is a fire door leaf, so each needs its own self-closing device to BS EN 1154 able to close it fully and, where it latches, drive it home. Approved Document B expects fire doorsets to be self-closing, subject to limited exceptions. A pair with a closer on only one leaf cannot reliably re-form the fire barrier after use.
What is a door coordinator, and when does a pair need one?
A door coordinator, or sequence selector, is fitted at the head of a pair to make the leaves close in the correct order whichever is opened first. A pair needs one wherever the meeting stiles are rebated or astragalled, or the pair latches or uses flush bolts, because closing in the wrong sequence leaves a gap across the meeting stile. The relevant standard is BS EN 1158, and coordinators intended for fire and smoke doors carry the fire-rated classification within it.
What is the difference between an equal pair and a leaf-and-a-half fire door?
An equal-leaf pair has two matched leaves; a leaf-and-a-half (unequal) pair has a wider active leaf used day to day and a narrower inactive leaf, held shut top and bottom by fire-rated flush bolts to BS EN 12051 and released when the extra width is needed. Both are certified configurations, and both rely on the same meeting-stile intumescent protection, a self-closer on each leaf and a door coordinator where the stiles are rebated or the pair latches. Achievable leaf widths are confirmed at enquiry against the certified field of application, never assumed.
Will your double-leaf fire doorsets carry third-party certification?
Yes. Every pair we supply will carry third-party certification, with the scheme and scope published at launch, and will be tested and certified in its exact configuration — equal pair or leaf-and-a-half, with the meeting-stile detail, coordinator and flush bolts as installed. Third-party certification adds ongoing factory production control audits and traceable labelling on top of the original test evidence, which is why it is widely specified for fire door pairs in residential, healthcare and commercial buildings.