Internal Doors for London Homes: Types, Fire Doors, Acoustic Doors, and Costs

Internal doors are one of the most frequently underspecified elements in London residential refurbishments. As a relatively small cost per item but a large contributor to the overall quality impression of an interior, door specification and ironmongery selection deserve careful attention. For London homeowners, the critical decisions are: door type and style, fire door requirements, acoustic performance where needed, and ironmongery specification.

Hollow-core flush door: the entry-level standard for interior use. A timber frame with a hollow or cardboard core, faced with a veneer or MDF skin. Lightweight, low cost, suitable for non-fire-rated, non-acoustic applications. Poor acoustic performance and a lightweight feel -- the choice that is most frequently commented on negatively by owners and buyers who perceive it as cheap.

Solid-core flush door: a flush door with a solid or semi-solid core. Significantly heavier and more acoustic than a hollow-core door. The standard specification for mid-range London residential refurbishments. Available in timber veneer, painted MDF, or lacquered finish.

Panelled door: a traditional raised or recessed panel door in timber or MDF. The standard door type for London Victorian and Edwardian interiors and appropriate for heritage-sensitive refurbishments. Available in 2-, 4-, and 6-panel configurations.

Glazed door: a door with a glazed panel or panels. Used where light transfer between rooms is desired -- particularly for rear rooms in London terraces that might otherwise be dark. Fire-rated glazed doors are available where required.

Sliding and pocket doors: sliding doors (surface-mounted or into a pocket in the wall) are used where floor space is at a premium. Pocket doors require a cavity in the stud wall and should be specified at the structural design stage. Popular in London homes where the dining room or study needs to be separable from the adjacent space.

UK standard door sizes for residential use:

• Standard height: 1981mm (6'6")
• Standard widths: 610mm (2'0"), 686mm (2'3"), 762mm (2'6"), 838mm (2'9")
• Wheelchair accessible standard: 775mm clear opening (typically an 838mm door)

Many London Victorian and Edwardian properties have door openings that exceed standard UK dimensions -- particularly in the principal rooms on the ground and first floor. Doors for these properties may need to be made to measure or selected from door manufacturers' oversized ranges. Confirming door sizes from measured openings before ordering is essential.

Fire doors are required by Building Regulations in specific locations:

In houses converted to flats: all doors between the common staircase and individual flat internal areas must be FD30 fire-rated doors (30 minutes fire resistance).

Loft conversions: where a loft conversion creates a new habitable room above the existing first floor, Part B requires an escape route from the loft to an external door or window. All doors opening onto the escape staircase must be FD30 self-closing fire doors. In London loft conversions, this typically means the doors on the new staircase landing and connecting to the existing staircase must be FD30 fire doors.

Between a garage and the house: where a garage is integral to the house or directly connected, the door between the garage and the habitable accommodation must be FD30.

New or replacement doors in protected stairwells: any door opening onto a protected escape staircase (common in London purpose-built flat conversions) must be FD30 (or FD60 in some taller buildings).

FD30 fire doors are identified by an intumescent seal around the door edge and a label confirming the fire rating. They must be fitted with an automatic self-closer. Self-closing mechanisms must be calibrated to ensure the door closes fully from the fully open position.

For rooms where sound transmission is a significant concern -- home offices, music rooms, media rooms, master bedrooms in open-plan houses, or party wall bedrooms -- acoustic doors are available with enhanced sound reduction performance. Standard solid-core doors offer approximately Rw 29--32 dB sound reduction; acoustic-rated doors can achieve Rw 40--45 dB.

Acoustic performance depends on the complete door assembly: the door leaf, the frame and seals, and the way the door is fitted (gaps at the base and sides are the primary acoustic leakage path). Acoustic threshold seals (which drop automatically when the door closes) are standard in high-performance acoustic door assemblies.

Ironmongery -- door handles, hinges, locks, and latches -- has a disproportionate effect on the tactile quality of an interior. Key decisions:

Lever handles vs knobs: levers are the accessibility-preferred specification (Part M of Building Regulations recommends levers over knobs for DDA accessibility reasons); knobs have a traditional aesthetic appropriate in some London period interiors.

Finish: polished chrome, satin chrome, brushed nickel, antique brass, and black are the most common finishes in London residential use. Consistency of finish across hardware types (handles, escutcheons, hinges, and flush bolts) is important for a coherent appearance.

Mortice latch or mortice lock: bedroom and bathroom doors typically use a mortice latch with turn-and-release functionality; other rooms use a simple mortice latch.

Hollow-core flush door (supply only, standard size): typically £60--£120 Solid-core flush door (supply only, painted MDF): typically £120--£250 4-panel MDF primed door (supply only, standard size): typically £120--£220 FD30 fire door (supply only): typically £200--£450 Hanging and fitting (per door, labour only): typically £80--£150

For a typical London three-bedroom refurbishment (8--12 internal doors), a mid-range door package (solid-core flush or panelled doors with fire doors where required, and mid-range satin chrome ironmongery) typically costs £3,000--£6,000 supplied, hung, and ironmongered.

rcbGroup specifies, procures, and installs internal doors as part of our second-fix carpentry programme. We advise on fire door requirements at the design stage and coordinate ironmongery selection with the client's overall design direction. Contact our team to discuss internal doors for your London home project.