A flat entrance fire doorset is the door between an individual flat and the common parts — the corridor or stairway every other household depends on to escape — and the FD30S rating is the benchmark Approved Document B sets for that position. FD30S denotes at least 30 minutes' fire resistance in terms of integrity when tested to BS 476-22, broadly equivalent to E30Sa when classified to BS EN 13501-2 after testing to BS EN 1634-1. The 'S' (Sa on the European route) denotes restricted cold smoke leakage at ambient temperature, achieved with smoke seals alongside the intumescent fire seals. The rating is integrity-only: FD30S corresponds broadly to E30, not the insulated EI30, so it must never be described as an EI-rated door.
Every flat entrance doorset we supply will be a complete factory-assembled unit — leaf, frame, intumescent and cold smoke seals, any glazing and the ironmongery manufactured and machined together under a third-party certification scheme — rather than a leaf hung on site in a separately sourced frame. A self-closing device to BS EN 1154 is part of the specification, because Approved Document B requires flat entrance fire doorsets to be self-closing, and every Regulation 10 check in residential buildings over 11 metres must confirm the closer shuts the door fully into its frame. Achievable sizes, glazed vision panels, tested letterplates and hardware will be confirmed at enquiry against the doorset's certified field of application, with no site cutting of apertures; the certification scheme and scope, and lead times, will be published at launch.
A flat entrance door is also the household's security barrier, and forced-entry resistance is a separate property from fire performance — one must never be inferred from the other. Where the specification calls for enhanced security, we will supply a variant tested to PAS 24, the UK's forced-entry test standard for doorsets, held on the same design specification as the fire evidence so both properties are certified together rather than one bolted onto the other. This dual-certified approach supports Secured by Design accreditation and Approved Document Q for new dwellings, where required. The fire rating (E30 integrity) and the security rating (PAS 24) remain distinct classifications, each evidenced against its own test — neither is a substitute for the other.
Specification
| Fire resistance | 30 minutes minimum integrity (FD30S; broadly equivalent to E30 under BS EN 13501-2) — integrity only, not insulation (EI) |
| Smoke control | Cold smoke seals fitted as standard (the 'S' in FD30S; Sa at ambient temperature on the European route), tested to BS EN 1634-3 |
| Self-closing device | Self-closer to BS EN 1154 fitted, as Approved Document B requires for flat entrance fire doorsets |
| Leaf thickness | Typically 44 mm, per the certified design |
| Core | Solid timber-based core (for example particleboard or laminated timber) as covered by the doorset's certification scope |
| Seals | Combined intumescent and cold smoke seals to head and jambs per the certificated design |
| Testing route | BS 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1, classified to BS EN 13501-2 (E30Sa) on the European route |
| Enhanced security (separate property) | PAS 24 forced-entry resistance available as a dual-certified variant on the same design specification; certified and evidenced separately from the fire rating |
| Glazing options | Factory-fitted fire-rated vision panels within the certified field of application; no site cutting of apertures |
| Letterplate and hardware | Tested, intumescent-protected letterplate, viewer, numerals, locks and hardware selected from within the certification scope; confirmed at enquiry |
| Acoustic options | Acoustic-rated variants available per the certified design; Rw performance stated on the doorset specification against a named test report |
| Ironmongery | CE/UKCA-marked hardware within the certification scope: hinges to BS EN 1935, closer to BS EN 1154, compatible locks and latches |
| Third-party certification scheme | Published at launch |
| Lead times | Published at launch |
Typical applications
- Flat entrance doors onto internal corridors, lobbies and protected stairways
- Replacement flat-entrance doorsets identified by a building's fire risk assessment
- Flat entrance doors in residential buildings over 11 metres subject to Regulation 10 annual best-endeavours checks
- Blocks designed around a 'stay put' strategy, where the flat entrance door holds fire in the flat of origin
- New-build apartment entrance doorsets where PAS 24 / Approved Document Q security is also specified
- HMO and student-accommodation unit entrance doors onto shared escape routes
Options
- FD30S cold smoke control fitted as standard for this position
- Enhanced security: variant tested to PAS 24 (forced-entry resistance), on the same design specification as the fire evidence
- Secured by Design dual-certified fire-and-security configuration where both are required on a single scope of certification
- Approved Document Q enhanced-security specification for new dwellings
- Fire-rated glazed vision panels within the certified field of application; no site cutting of apertures
- Tested, intumescent-protected letterplates and door viewers within the certified design
- Acoustic-rated construction; Rw stated on the doorset specification against a named test report
- Veneer, laminate, paint-grade and primed finishes
- Self-closing devices to BS EN 1154, including options suited to lower opening forces
- Numerals, thresholds, locks and hardware selected from within the certification scope
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 FD30S doorsets on their own or installed to BS 8214 with full handover evidence.
Fire door supply →Frequently asked questions
What does FD30S mean on a flat entrance door?
FD30S denotes a flat entrance fire doorset achieving at least 30 minutes' fire resistance in terms of integrity when tested to BS 476-22, with the 'S' showing restricted cold smoke leakage at ambient temperature. The broadly equivalent European classification is E30Sa under BS EN 13501-2 — an integrity-and-smoke classification, not EI30, which adds insulation. It is the benchmark Approved Document B sets for a doorset separating a flat from a space in common use, and BS 476 classifications are removed from Approved Document B with effect from 2 September 2029, so European classification evidence (E30Sa) is the future-proof route.
Do flat entrance fire doors need a self-closing device?
Yes. Approved Document B (paragraph C5) says all fire doorsets, including to flat entrances, should be fitted with a self-closing device, with narrow exceptions such as cupboards and locked service ducts. Every doorset we supply will include a self-closer to BS EN 1154 as part of the certified specification, and the annual Regulation 10 check in residential buildings over 11 metres must confirm the device closes the door fully into its frame.
Can a flat entrance door be both a fire door and a PAS 24 security door?
Yes — that is what dual certification means, and fire integrity and forced-entry security stay separate properties within it. Secured by Design describes a doorset tested to recognised standards for fire resistance and for security (PAS 24) on the same design specification, with independent third-party certification for both on a single scope. We will supply the FD30S fire rating and the PAS 24 security rating on one certified design rather than adding security hardware to a fire door, or fire upgrades to a security door, outside its tested specification — either of which can undermine both.
Is a PAS 24 fire door the same as a fire-rated door?
No. PAS 24 is the UK's forced-entry test standard — it demonstrates resistance to the tools and methods of an opportunist burglar — and it says nothing about fire performance. FD30S covers the fire side: 30 minutes' integrity plus cold smoke control. A 'PAS 24 fire door' for a flat entrance therefore needs both classifications, each evidenced against its own test; one is never a substitute for the other, and neither can be inferred from the presence of the other.
Will your flat entrance doorsets carry third-party certification?
Yes. Every flat entrance doorset we supply will carry third-party certification, with the scheme and scope — and, where specified, the separate security certification — published at launch. 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 flat entrance doors in residential blocks and social housing.