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 Replaces the withdrawn 2016 edition.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 Gap
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.
The Standard
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.
The Solution
How FireWedge Closes the Gap
FireWedge is the UK's only manufacturer of hardwood packing wedges produced specifically for fire door installation with independent density verification and a batch-specific Certificate of Conformity in every pack. Here is exactly what we provide.
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Every Batch
Independent 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 an independent testing laboratory.
Results are independently verified, traceable, and provide the documented evidence required under BS 8214:2026 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
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.
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Every Pack
Hardwood Wedge 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 reference
✓Fire door suitability (FD30 or FD60)
✓Reference to BS 8214:2026
✓Date of testing
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CoC Reference on Every Pack
Every FireWedge pack label carries a unique CoC reference number tied to the specific batch it came from. When the fitter photographs the label on site — using apps like Bolster or OneTrace — that reference number is captured in the photo evidence.
This creates an unbreakable evidential link: the photograph proves which pack was used, which CoC it refers to, and which fire doorset it was installed on. Your compliance manager, your auditor and the building's golden thread can all independently verify the documentation for every installation.
The label is the evidence. This is the golden thread in action.
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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.
On-Site Compliance
How Your Hardwood Wedge CoC Reference Works On Site
From the moment you place an order to the final audit, every step is documented. Here's how FireWedge fits into your existing site compliance workflow.
1
Order Online
Place your order on firewedgesdirect.co.uk. You receive an email confirmation along with the Certificate of Conformity for your order — sent directly to your inbox.
2
Packs Arrive Labelled
Every pack arrives with the Certificate of Conformity reference number printed directly on the label. No separate document to track — the label carries the evidence.
3
Photograph on Site
The fitter photographs the pack label when installing the fire doorset, using their site documentation app. The photo is tagged to that specific doorset.
4
Evidence Created
The photograph creates a direct, verifiable link: this pack → this Certificate of Conformity reference → this specific fire door installation. Proof that compliant wedges were used on this doorset.
Auditable for Life
The record lives in your compliance platform. Your QS, auditor or building safety manager can verify the documentation for any installation at any point in the building's lifetime.
Reference
The Legal Framework at a Glance
Legislation / Standard
Relevance to FireWedge
Building Safety Act 2022
Golden thread requirement — every component must be traceable and documented 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 for fire door installation — in force 31 March 2026, replaces withdrawn 2016 edition
BS EN 323
British Standard for timber density determination — the test method used to verify every FireWedge batch
Regulation 38
Requirement to provide fire safety information to the responsible person on completion of building work
Questions
Frequently Asked
Common questions from contractors, specifiers and responsible persons about FireWedge documentation.
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.
Each pack label carries a unique CoC reference number. When your fitter photographs the label on site using a compliance app (such as Bolster or OneTrace), the reference number is captured in the photo evidence and tagged to the specific doorset. This creates a permanent, auditable record linking the CoC to the installation — exactly what 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?
Join fire door contractors across the UK who trust FireWedge for compliant, evidenced, density-verified frame packing.
Every batch tested. Every pack certified. Every order plants a tree.
FireWedge is a trading name of DJR Joinery Ltd. Trademark Registered. All CoC documentation is issued on the basis of independent laboratory test results. Suitability for specific fire door assemblies is always subject to the doorset manufacturer's installation guidance and test evidence.
