Commercial Fire Rated Doors and Frames
A fire door protects an opening in a fire separation, but only as a complete assembly. We supply and install labelled doors, frames and hardware for commercial and industrial buildings, and repair existing ones without voiding the label.
Call our Calgary team403-650-5232Rated as an assembly, not a door
The building code treats a closure in a fire separation as everything that fills the opening: the door, frame, anchors, hinges, closer and latching hardware. Each piece has to be listed for that use, and the rating applies only when they're installed together.
We work out the rating each opening needs from your drawings or the existing labels, then supply a matched assembly. We carry steel assemblies from 20 minutes up to three hours, and temperature rise doors where an opening calls for one.
What goes into a rated opening
| Component | What to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Door | Label on the hinge edge, correct rating for the wall | Using an unlabelled steel door because it looks the same |
| Frame | Labelled frame, anchored to suit the wall | Keeping a damaged frame under a new rated door |
| Closer and hinges | Door closes and latches from any position | Closer removed or disconnected because the door felt heavy |
| Latch or exit device | Positive latching, fire exit hardware where panic hardware is needed | Standard panic bar on a rated door |
| Glazing | Listed fire-rated glass within the size limits | Ordinary glass fitted in the field |
| Gaskets and seals | Seals chosen for the performance needed | Treating fire, smoke and weather seals as interchangeable |
Fire door details that catch people out
From the CSDMA 2025 fire labeling guide and Allegion's technical guidance.
Higher ratings cover lower ones
A door rated at a higher level qualifies for the lower ratings too, so a 3-hour door can be used where 1-1/2 hours, 3/4 hour or 1/3 hour is required.
CSDMA Canadian Fire Labeling Guide, 2025, Note 16Electric strikes must fail secure
On a fire-rated door, an electric strike has to stay latched when power is lost. A fail-safe strike doesn't give the positive latching NFPA 80 requires.
Allegion, fail safe vs. fail secureField-spliced doors don't qualify
CSDMA lists field-spliced doors, double-acting doors and radiused or rabbetted hinge edges among conditions not eligible for a fire rating.
CSDMA Canadian Fire Labeling Guide, 2025Fire rated isn't fireproof
A fire rating is a tested time, under set conditions, for a complete assembly. It doesn't mean the door is fireproof, and it doesn't automatically mean the door is smoke-rated or limits heat transfer. Smoke leakage and temperature rise are separate ratings, listed separately.
That's why we ask what each opening needs before we quote, and why repairs on rated doors use parts listed for that door. To check doors already in your building, see fire door and AAADM inspections.
A door schedule, an inspector's report or a clear photo of each label is all we need to start.
Can a fire-rated door have a window?
Yes, if the glazing, vision frame and size are allowed by the door's listing. The limits depend on the rating, and the glass has to be a listed fire-rated product.
Does a fire rating also mean the door is smoke-rated?
Not automatically. Fire protection, smoke leakage and temperature rise are separate characteristics. We'll tell you which ones the assembly you're buying actually has.
Can a fire door have an automatic operator or card access?
Yes, with hardware listed for fire doors. Electric strikes must fail secure, and electrified exit devices are wired to the fire alarm so the door still latches in a fire. See electrified door hardware.
Do you repair fire doors as well as replace them?
Yes. Closers, hinges, latches and exit devices can be replaced with listed parts. Damage to the door or frame itself usually means a new labelled assembly.