Fire door painting: a practical guide

Fire doors are some of the most painted and most damaged surfaces in any commercial building or apartment block. They take knocks from trolleys, bikes and furniture, so they need redecorating more often than walls. Done badly, though, fire door painting can stop a door doing its job. Here is how our commercial decorators approach it.

Can you paint a fire door?

Yes. A certified timber fire door gets its rating from how it is built: the door leaf, the frame, the gaps, the hinges and closer, and the intumescent strips and smoke seals around the edge. Ordinary decorative paint does not change that, as long as it goes on in the right places and in sensible thicknesses.

The door manufacturer’s installation and maintenance guidance always comes first. If a door carries a certification label or plug, check what it says about finishes before you start.

What to keep paint off

• Intumescent strips and smoke seals in the door edge or frame rebate. Mask them, or remove and refit them where the system allows
• The certification label or plug on the door edge, so inspectors can still read it
• Hinges, closers, latches and hold-open devices. Paint on a closer arm or latch can stop the door closing fully on its own
• Fire door signage, which should be taken down and refitted rather than painted around

How much paint is too much?

Old fire doors in managed buildings often carry decades of paint. Thick layers on the door edge can close up the gap between door and frame, so the door sticks or does not close fully. Before repainting, we check the gaps (usually around 3mm, but follow the door’s certification) and sand back edges that have built up. If the door no longer closes and latches by itself, it needs a fire door inspector or joiner, not a decorator.

Which paint to use

For most certified fire doors, a hard-wearing water-based or solvent-based trade paint in satin or eggshell is suitable, applied in two thin coats over the correct primer. Where a fire strategy or specification calls for an intumescent coating, for example to upgrade an existing door, it must be a product tested for that use and applied at the stated film thickness, usually under a compatible top coat.

Keeping records

On commercial projects and in residential blocks, fire doors are life-safety equipment. We record the paint products and batches used, and any doors we find with damaged seals, missing closers or excessive gaps, so they can go into the O&M manual and the building’s fire door inspection records.

Need fire doors painted?

We paint fire doors as part of communal area decorating in apartment blocks and on office, school and new build projects across London. Send us your project details for a price.