Can you paint a fire door?
Get a priceYes, you can paint a fire door. You just must not paint the seals.
Normal decorating paint on the face of the door is generally fine, if it is not built up too thick. Check the door maker's guidance if you have it.
What goes wrong
Intumescent strips and smoke seals sit in the edge of the door or the frame. The smoke seal has little brushes or fins, and these need to be able to move. Once they are covered in paint they go stiff and stop sealing.
The intumescent strip is the part that swells in a fire. A heavy coat of paint is not something you want on it.
Decorators also paint over the certification label, which can make it hard to prove what the door is. They also go over hinges and closers, which then stop moving freely.
After the decorators have gone
Walk round and look at every door edge. If the seals are covered, they will need replacing.
Check the door still closes by itself. A thick coat of paint on the edges can be enough to stop it latching.
Damaged seals are one of the cheaper faults to put right, so it is worth catching them.
Tell us how many doors you have and we will send you a price the same day.
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