Technical Specifications
Frame sizes, glass, handles, colours and fitting for our steel and aluminium doors
Measured from the doors we make
Architects, builders and homeowners ask us the same handful of questions: how thick is the frame, how big can a door be, what glass and handles can I have, and how is it fitted. The answers are below for both ranges. If you need a dimension that is not listed, call 0333 210 1240 or send the opening size with your quote request and we will confirm it.
Frame profiles and thicknesses
Frame thickness is the question we are asked most, so here is every system we make, drawn in section through the jambs with the widths you see from the front and the depth into the wall. Steel doors come first, non-fire-rated then FD30 fire-rated, followed by aluminium. Click any drawing to open it full size.
Steel doors, non-fire-rated Non-fire-rated
For homes and offices where no fire rating is required. Slim profiles, the widest choice of glass and bar designs, and the shortest steel lead times.
| System | Opening frame | Door frame | Depth | Glazing bars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard steel | 20mm face, 35mm with the flange | 20mm | 48mm | Stick-on bars on the glass, or 15mm welded bars |
Standard steel door Non-fire-rated
Two kinds of glazing bar. Stick-on bars are 15mm wide and sit on both faces of the glass, so the leaf keeps its slim 20mm profile and the glass is one uninterrupted pane. Welded bars (shown in the lower section of the drawing) are 15mm steel sections welded to the leaf with a separate pane of glass in each opening, for the traditional look and feel.
Steel doors, fire-rated FD30 fire rated
Certified to BS 476 Part 22 for a minimum of 30 minutes of fire integrity, with intumescent seals in the frame that expand in heat to close the gap, and certified fire-rated glass. Each door is supplied with a certificate of conformity for building control. Fire-rated doors are steel only; lead time 10–14 weeks.
| System | Opening frame | Door frame | Sight line, wall to glass | Depth | Glazing bars | Handle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard steel fire door | 40mm, 5mm gap | 65mm door frame plus 20mm glazing bead | 130mm | 50mm | To your design | To your choice |
| P40 slim steel fire door | 40mm | 12mm overlap | 52mm | 43mm | Two horizontal bars as standard | Lever handle with full backbox |
| W40 ultra slim steel fire door | 39mm | 16mm overlap | 55mm | 55mm | Any bar design | Pull handle |
The standard fire door is the heaviest, most traditional section: a 40mm opening frame, a 65mm door frame and a 20mm glazing bead, 50mm deep, with the hinge on the face. On the P40 and W40 the door leaf sits in front of the opening frame and overlaps it, so the sight line is the opening frame plus the overlap. The P40 leaf sits in front of a 40mm tube frame with a 15mm glazing bead and is made with two horizontal bars, a lever handle and a full backbox lock case, as its certification requires. The W40 leaf nests into a channel-section frame on a front hinge, 42mm deep in a 55mm frame, and takes any bar layout with a pull handle.
Standard steel fire door FD30 fire rated
P40 slim steel fire door FD30 fire rated
W40 ultra slim steel fire door FD30 fire rated
Aluminium doors Aluminium · non-fire-rated
Lighter than steel, with soft-close hinges and a clean contemporary frame. Slimline with a pull handle, or fully framed with the 40mm door frame on all four sides of the leaf. Not available fire-rated; lead time 6–8 weeks.
| System | Opening frame | Door frame | Depth | Glazing bars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 26mm | 40mm (all four sides on fully framed doors) | 40mm | With or without bars |
Aluminium door Aluminium
Scale drawings for any door are available on request, and we send them with every technical drawing before a door goes into production.
Maximum sizes
| Door | Maximum size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steel hinged door | Made to measure | Two or three hinges depending on size, welded to the frame |
| Steel pivot door | 1350mm wide x 2000mm high | Top and bottom pivots set into the opening; opens both ways |
| Aluminium fully framed leaf | 930mm wide x 2200mm high | Single or double sets |
| Aluminium double set, no fixed panels | 1927mm wide x 2231mm high overall | Symmetrical pair or offset main door and smaller door |
| Wider openings, either range | No fixed limit | Built as a door or pair with fixed panels to one side, both sides or above |
Opening styles
Steel
- Hinged, the most common internal fixing
- Pivot, opens both ways, up to 1350mm x 2000mm
- Sliding, no swing space needed
- Folding
- Fixed panels and screens
- FD30 fire-rated versions of hinged doors
Aluminium
- Hinged with soft-close hydraulic hinges that open both ways
- Double sets, symmetrical or offset
- Pivot
- Sliding, framed or frameless
- Fixed partitions
Glass and bar designs
Both ranges take a full choice of glass. Steel doors: clear, frosted, grey tint, bronze tint, wired, fluted and cathedral. Aluminium doors: clear, frosted, smoked grey, smoked bronze, reeded, reflex and fabric. Every option is described on our glass options page.
Bars are welded into the frame on steel doors and matched across both leaves on a pair. We offer 29 standard bar arrangements, from a single clear panel to a centre diamond, and can make a bespoke layout from your drawing.
Handles and locks
Pull handles
Hand-welded to the frame and made to any size. Doors with pull handles close on magnets sunk into the door and frame. Colour matched to the frame or finished in a contrast colour, and available hand-forged in a hammered or ridged finish.
Lever handles
Four designs in black and antique finishes: the Philadelphia range with a smooth handle and the Bari range with a knurled handle. Lever handles close on a latch. We can also fit a handle you supply, subject to a check at the design stage.
Locks are available on both lever handle and pull handle doors. Ask when you request a quote.
Colours and finishes
Black is the most popular colour by some distance, but every door can be finished in any RAL colour to match your interior. We can match a colour you already have, and we offer metallic finishes such as bronze. Steel frames come in a textured or smooth finish.
Fire rating
Our FD30 steel doors are certified to BS 476 Part 22 and give a minimum of 30 minutes of fire integrity. They use the same slim frame as our standard steel doors with intumescent seals fitted into the frame, and each one is supplied with a certificate of conformity for building control. Fire-rated doors are steel only. Full details are on the fire rated doors page.
Fitting and lead times
- We template on site to confirm exact sizes before manufacture, then return to install. Supply only is available for both ranges.
- Our own team fits every door. Depending on the opening and what we are fixing into, installation takes between three hours and a full day.
- Where walls or ceilings are out of true, any gaps are sealed in during fitting so the door sits square.
- Lead times: steel 8–10 weeks, fire-rated steel 10–14 weeks, aluminium 6–8 weeks, from order confirmation and final measurements.
- Installation across England and Wales. Every door carries our 2-year guarantee.
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