🔥 Now fully aligned with BS 8214:2026 — in force 31 March 2026  Download our compliance statement →

Every Component.
Fully Evidenced.

FireWedge exists because of one gap in fire door compliance documentation. Here is exactly how we close it — and why it matters more than ever.

How We Close the Gap Read FAQs
2022
Building Safety Act
Golden thread requirement for every component
2026
BS 8214:2026
Current standard. In force 31 March 2026
UKAS
Accredited Testing
Every batch. BS EN 323. Independently verified
CoC
Every Pack
Batch-specific. Not a generic datasheet

The Regulatory
Landscape

Fire door installation in the UK has undergone the most significant regulatory transformation in a decade. The Building Safety Act 2022, the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the publication of BS 8214:2026 have collectively created a compliance environment where documentation is no longer optional — it is the job.

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced the concept of a golden thread of building safety information that must be maintained throughout a building's lifecycle. Every component used in a fire door installation must be evidenced. Every material must be traceable. Every decision must be documented.

Building Safety Act 2022

Golden thread of building safety information. Every component must be evidenced and traceable throughout the building lifecycle.

Fire Safety Act 2021

Expanded scope of fire safety duties to flat entrance doors in multi-occupancy residential buildings.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Mandatory fire door inspection requirements for buildings over 11 metres.

BS 8214:2026

Current UK code of practice. In force 31 March 2026. Replaces the withdrawn 2016 edition.

The Problem with
Packing Wedges

Hardwood packing wedges are used in virtually every fire door installation to pack the frame accurately within the structural opening. Most doorset manufacturers specify that packing wedges must be of a minimum timber density — typically 420 kg/m³ for FD30 and 650 kg/m³ for FD60 — in order for the installation to comply with their test evidence.

For years, contractors have sourced these wedges from timber merchants, joinery suppliers, or wherever they could find them. No Certificate of Conformity. No density verification. No batch reference. No documentation of any kind.

Under the previous regulatory environment that was tolerated. Under the current one it is not.

Typical packing wedge before FireWedge
Certificate of Conformity ✗ None
Density verification ✗ None
Batch reference ✗ None
Test standard reference ✗ None
Golden thread ready ✗ No

One component. No documentation. Under the Building Safety Act 2022 this is no longer an acceptable position.

BS 8214:2026 —
What Changed

BS 8214:2026 came into force on 31 March 2026, replacing BS 8214:2016. This is the most significant update to the UK's primary fire door code of practice in a decade. The three changes that matter most for packing wedge documentation are:

1

Evidence-Based Compliance

BS 8214:2026 moves away from prescriptive construction rules. Instead it requires that appropriate supporting evidence exists for any fire door construction — placing greater responsibility on building managers to ensure adequate documentation.

That supporting evidence must cover every component in the assembly. Including the packing wedge.

2

Supply Chain Accountability

A new section covers the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the fire door supply chain — the specifier, door provider, manufacturer, installer and the Relevant Duty Holder. This reflects the emphasis of the Building Safety Act 2022 on clear accountability.

Supply chain providers are now explicitly named in the standard. FireWedge is a supply chain provider. Our CoC is our accountability document.

3

Section 9.4 — Frame Installation

Installation requirements have been clarified — particularly in Section 9.4 — to reduce the risk of misunderstanding and non-compliant installation on site.

Section 9.4 governs the installation of the door frame into the structural opening — precisely where packing wedges are used. How the frame is packed is now under greater scrutiny than ever before.

How FireWedge
Closes the Gap

FireWedge is the UK's only manufacturer of hardwood packing wedges produced specifically for fire door installation with independent UKAS density verification and a batch-specific Certificate of Conformity in every pack. Here is exactly what we provide.

🔬
Every Batch

UKAS Density Testing

Every batch of timber we cut is density tested to BS EN 323 — the recognised British Standard for the determination of timber density — by a UKAS-accredited testing laboratory.

UKAS accreditation means the laboratory operates to ISO/IEC 17025 — the international standard for testing competence. Results are independently verified, traceable, and legally defensible.

Our pass thresholds
FireWedge Beech
FD30 doorsets (subject to manufacturer guidance)
420+ kg/m³
FireWedge Sapele
FD60 doorsets (subject to manufacturer guidance)
650+ kg/m³

Any batch that does not meet these thresholds is not released for sale. No exceptions.

📋
Every Pack

Certificate of Conformity

Every FireWedge pack ships with a batch-specific Certificate of Conformity. This document is produced specifically for your installation file. It is not a generic datasheet — it is tied to the exact batch of timber your wedges were cut from.

Every CoC contains
Unique batch reference number
Timber species
Tested density result
Test standard (BS EN 323)
Testing body name and UKAS accreditation number
Fire door suitability (FD30 or FD60)
Reference to BS 8214:2026
Date of testing
📱

QR Code Batch Verification

Every FireWedge bag carries a QR code that links directly to the online batch verification page for that specific batch. Scan on site, verify the batch certificate, download a PDF copy in seconds.

Your site operative, your compliance manager and your auditor can all independently verify the documentation for the wedges used on any specific installation — at any point in the building's lifecycle.

This is the golden thread in action.

📐

Your Installation File

Every fire door installation file should contain the following for the packing wedges used:

Species of timber used
Verified density of that species from that batch
Evidence that the density meets the doorset manufacturer's minimum specification
Identity of the testing body and their accreditation
Batch reference linking the CoC to the physical product
Reference to the relevant standard

FireWedge provides every one of these in a single document included in every pack.

Frequently
Asked

Common questions from contractors, specifiers and responsible persons about FireWedge documentation.

📐„
Sample Certificate of Conformity
See exactly what documentation comes with every order · PDF
📋
BS 8214:2026 Compliance Statement
Our formal statement of alignment with the current standard · PDF
BS 8214:2026 is a code of practice, not a statutory instrument. However it is the benchmark against which fire door installations are assessed by inspectors, auditors, responsible persons and certification bodies. The evidence requirements it sets out reflect the duties imposed by the Building Safety Act 2022 which is statutory. In practice, any installation that cannot provide documentation for every component — including packing wedges — is vulnerable to challenge at audit or inspection.
Suitability for a specific fire rating is determined by the doorset manufacturer's installation guidance and their test evidence. FireWedge provides density verification against the thresholds most commonly specified. Always cross-reference with your specific doorset manufacturer's guidance.
Retain the physical CoC in your installation file. The QR code on each bag links to an online version that remains accessible for the lifetime of the building. Both provide the traceability the golden thread requires.
It is not released for sale. We test every batch before dispatch. If a batch does not meet the minimum density specification it is either sold as a lower-rated product where appropriate, or rejected entirely. Your CoC will always reflect a passing result because failing batches never reach you.
Yes. Our batch CoC is formatted to be filed directly into a fire door installation record or asset register. Contact us if you need a specific format for your compliance system.

Ready to Order?

Every pack ships with a batch-specific Certificate of Conformity — fully evidenced, audit-ready documentation from day one.

Order Now Trade Account

FireWedge is a trading name of DJR Joinery Ltd. Trademark Registered. All CoC documentation is issued on the basis of UKAS-accredited laboratory test results. Suitability for specific fire door assemblies is always subject to the doorset manufacturer's installation guidance and test evidence.