Filler does not stop fire.
That is the short version of this page. A lock pocket held together with filler will not last a fire, and neither will the door.
Split edges
The latch side takes the abuse. A forced entry, a boot, a door kicked in when somebody lost their keys. It splits along the grain near the lock.
We cut the damage back to sound timber and let in a new hardwood lipping along that edge. Glued, trimmed, flush with the face. It is the kind of repair that looks like nothing has happened once it is painted.
Lipping is limited to what the door can take. If the core has been broken through, a new strip along the edge will not bring back what was lost.
Holes
Every door gets holes eventually. Old locks, old closers, a spyhole someone changed their mind about, a hook for a dressing gown.
A small hole through the door face is more serious than it looks, because it is a straight path for fire through the thickest part of the protection.
So they get plugged with hardwood, glued, cut flush and sanded. Not filled. Where a lock has been taken out and left a big pocket, we let in a piece to match.
The lock itself matters too. A mortice lock cuts a chunk out of the door, so it needs an intumescent kit around it to protect that weak point.
Bottom edges
Cleaners' machines and delivery trolleys go for the bottom corner. In a corridor with a lot of traffic, a kick plate saves money over time.
When it is not worth it
Most of the time a door can be saved. On our school and almshouse programme in Luton, seven doors out of 147 had to go.
Those seven had gone too far. If a door has been cut down, has a split right through, or has had so many repairs that it no longer resembles what was tested, we will tell you plainly.
At that point the choice is a new leaf in the existing frame, if the frame is sound, or a full doorset. We advise a plain certified doorset. Decorative panels added to a fire door can void its rating.
Questions we get asked
Will the repair show?
Slightly, until it has been painted. We leave it ready for your decorator.
Our door has a panel of glass that has cracked. Can you fix it?
Yes. The replacement has to be proper fire-rated glass, set in the right beading and glazing tape. Send us a close-up of any marking on the glass.
Send it over with the postcode and we will price it per door the same day.
Get a price