A fire door is an assembly: the door, the frame, the hinges, the latch, the closer and any glass, each listed for the rating on the label. It works only if all of it closes and latches on its own when the fire comes. That is why a fire door is not treated like an ordinary door when it fails, and why some damage that a plain door would shrug off means a fire door has to go.
Fire door repair: what can be fixed in place
Most items an inspection writes up on a fire door in Atlanta can be fixed without replacing the door. A closer that no longer pulls the door shut, a latch that does not catch, worn hinges that let the door sag, gaps at the edges that have opened because the door dropped or the hinges worked loose, and a missing or damaged gasket can all be put right on the door you have, as long as each new part is listed for a fire door and nothing is cut into the door beyond what its listing allows. A fire door repair of that kind keeps the label, and it is usually a smaller job than a replacement.
When repair stops being an option
- Holes and cuts through the door. Old hardware holes, a hole for a lock that was never fitted, or a cut for a pet door or a vent that was not made under the door's listing. Small holes from screws can often be filled with steel fasteners; larger ones usually cannot be patched in a way the rating accepts.
- A door that has been altered. A door cut down at the bottom, a glass kit added on site, or a lockset swapped for one that needed new boring. Field changes beyond what the door's listing allows put the label in doubt.
- Damage to the core or the skin. A steel door that has been forced, crushed or rusted through at the bottom, or a wood fire door that is split, delaminated or swollen from water.
- A frame that no longer holds. A bent or loose frame, or a strike side that has been pried, means the door cannot latch reliably, and the frame has to be replaced with it.
- A missing or unreadable label. Without the label nobody can show the door's rating. Sometimes a door can be re-certified by an approved agency; when it cannot, it is replaced.
What a fire door replacement involves
The new door is ordered to the rating the opening needs, which is set by the wall it sits in, not chosen by preference: commonly 20, 45, 60 or 90 minutes. If the frame is sound and labeled, a new labeled door, with hinge and strike preps that match the frame, can be hung in it; if not, the frame comes out too. Every piece of hardware goes on as listed for the door: hinges, a positive-latching lock or exit device, and a closer, so that the door closes and latches on its own. Any glass is fire-rated glass in a listed frame. When the door is hung, the clearances at the edges and the bottom are checked, and the door is tested from fully open.
What sets the fire door replacement cost
- The rating. A longer rating means a heavier door and frame and fewer choices of glass and hardware.
- Door only, or door and frame. A new door in a sound frame is the smaller job. A new frame in a masonry or block wall is the largest variable on most estimates.
- Steel or wood. Hollow metal doors are the usual choice for stairwells, corridors and back-of-house doors; wood fire doors are used where the building's finish calls for them, and cost more.
- Glass. A vision lite needs fire-rated glass and a listed frame, which adds to the price and the lead time.
- Hardware. A closer and a latching lock or exit device listed for the door, and steel hinges of the type and number its label requires. Existing hardware is reused only where it qualifies for the new door and is still in good order.
- Size and lead time. Standard sizes are quicker. A door and frame made to an unusual opening take longer; see how long fire door replacement takes, below.
Can a fire door be replaced with an ordinary door?
No. The rating belongs to the opening, not to the door that happens to be in it, so a fire door is replaced with a labeled door of the same rating or higher, in a labeled frame. A plain door in a rated wall is one of the first things an inspection writes up, and it leaves the wall with a gap in it.
How long fire door replacement takes
A standard-size labeled steel door is often available quickly, and hanging it in a sound labeled frame is usually a single visit. A wood fire door, a door with fire-rated glass or a new frame is made to order and takes longer. Until the new door arrives, the old one stays in service wherever it still closes and latches; where it cannot, the opening is secured until the new door is hung.
Before you call
If an inspector flagged the door, have the report to hand, with the door's location and the item that failed; it saves a visit. Look at the hinge edge of the door and the frame for the label and note what it says, even if it is partly painted over. And note whether the door has glass, a panic bar or a card reader, because each one changes what has to be ordered.
We look at the door, the frame, the label and the hardware, tell you whether it can be repaired or has to be replaced, and put the answer in a free written estimate with each part listed. The visit is same-day when the schedule allows.