Walnut Fire Doors

A walnut fire door pairs a certified core with a dark walnut veneer, so a protected opening can match walnut joinery instead of interrupting it. The leaf is supplied factory-finished in most cases, and the veneer has no effect on the rating as long as the assembly is built as tested.

Installing to the certification

Use fire rated hinges, fit intumescent strips and smoke seals, and add a door closer where the door must self-close. Keep within the manufacturer trimming allowance and use only approved surface coatings.

Choose the rating in FD30 or FD60 and the format in solid or glazed. Non-rated walnut leaves are in internal walnut doors, and the nearest alternative finish is oak fire doors.

Walnut where certification is required

Walnut is the darkest of the mainstream real-wood veneers, with a deep chocolate ground and pronounced figuring that reads as a considered choice rather than a default. Certified walnut leaves let that finish continue onto hall, stair and garage doors where a fire rating is required, which is usually where a house's best doors are. Because the veneer is real timber, no two leaves are identical, and that variation is the point.

Finishing and living with walnut

Walnut is supplied both pre-finished and unfinished. Pre-finished leaves arrive lacquered and need nothing but hanging. Unfinished leaves must be sealed on all six faces before service, and an oil or a clear lacquer will deepen the colour noticeably, so test on an offcut first. Walnut is sensitive to strong direct sunlight over long periods and will lighten in a south-facing hall, so keep that in mind when mixing new and existing leaves.

Completing the door set

A certified door is an assembly. Fit fire rated hinges and intumescent strips and pads, add a sized door closer where self-closing is required, and read the fire door guide with FD30 vs FD60 fire doors to confirm the rating. Compare FD30 and FD60, see non-certified equivalents in internal walnut doors, and read oak versus walnut doors before deciding. The wider range is in fire doors.