Can a fire door be custom-made for a non-standard industrial opening?

Yes, a fire door can be custom-made for a non-standard industrial opening. Certified manufacturers produce fire-rated doors in custom dimensions, configurations, and materials while maintaining the fire resistance classification required by European standards. The key condition is that the custom door is manufactured and tested within the scope of an existing CE-certified product family. The sections below unpack what that means in practice, from classification and documentation to the manufacturing process itself.

What makes an industrial opening ‘non-standard’ for fire doors?

An industrial opening is considered non-standard when its dimensions, configuration, or operating conditions fall outside the size ranges covered by standard catalogue products. In practice, this means openings that are unusually wide or tall, require forklift-rated clearance, must accommodate overhead or sliding door mechanisms, or involve structural constraints that prevent the use of a prefabricated frame. Non-standard does not mean uncertifiable — it means the door must be manufactured to specification rather than selected off the shelf.

In industrial environments, non-standard openings are the rule rather than the exception. A logistics centre may require a fire-rated roller door wide enough for a loaded pallet truck. A production hall may need a fire door that integrates with an automated transport system. A healthcare complex may require a sliding fire door that does not interrupt a sterile corridor. Each of these scenarios involves dimensional or functional requirements that standard product ranges cannot meet without adaptation.

The distinction matters for specification. When an architect defines an opening in a permit-ready design, they need to confirm early whether a standard product can be adapted or whether a fully custom-manufactured solution is required. That determination affects lead times, documentation requirements, and which manufacturers are even capable of delivering.

Can fire resistance certification apply to a custom-made door?

Yes, fire resistance certification can apply to a custom-made door, provided the custom door is manufactured within the extended application rules of an existing tested product family. Under EN 1634-1, manufacturers test representative door configurations and may then apply classification results to a defined range of sizes and variants using extended application rules (EN 15269-1 to -20). A custom door built within those parameters inherits the classification of the tested specimen, with results classified per EN 13501-2.

This is the mechanism that allows certified manufacturers to produce doors in non-standard dimensions without retesting every individual unit. The tested specimen establishes the performance envelope. The manufacturer’s technical file defines the permissible range of sizes, materials, hardware, and configurations. Any door produced within that range can be CE-marked and accompanied by a Declaration of Performance referencing the original classification report. For industrial fire doors, CE marking is governed by two standards simultaneously: EN 16034 (fire and smoke resisting closing elements) and EN 13241 (industrial doors generally) — both apply and neither replaces the other.

What this means for architects is straightforward: a custom dimension does not automatically mean a non-certified product. It does mean the manufacturer must have a sufficiently broad tested product family to accommodate the required opening. Manufacturers with narrow test scopes may be unable to certify a custom door at all, which is a specification risk worth identifying before a contractor is engaged.

Metacon-Next’s fire-rated industrial doors are tested by Efectis and CE-certified under EN 1634-1, with classification reports available at specification stage. The full product range covers multiple door types, each with documented extended application limits.

What fire resistance classifications are available for custom industrial doors?

Custom industrial fire doors are available in EW and EI classifications, with time ratings that typically include EI1-30, EI1-60, EI1-90, EI1-120, EI2-60, EI2-90, EI2-120, EW 60, EW 90, EW 120, and EW 240 depending on the product line. The applicable classification for a specific project depends on the fire safety engineer’s compartmentalisation calculation — not on a blanket rule tied to building type or occupancy. Which classification is sufficient or required for a given opening cannot be determined from the door specification alone; this requires a project-specific assessment, and where there is any doubt, a qualified fire safety engineer or the local authority should be consulted.

Understanding the distinction between these classifications — all defined under EN 13501-2 — is essential for correct specification:

• E means the door maintains integrity: flames and hot gases do not pass through to the unexposed side.
• EW means the door maintains integrity and additionally limits radiant heat transfer through the door. EW is the Dutch standard baseline criterion referenced in the BBL (Besluit Bouwwerken Leefomgeving) and is appropriate where the fire safety calculation does not require full insulation. For example, EW 60 means the door blocks flames, hot gases, and limits radiant heat transfer for 60 minutes.
• EI1 means the door maintains integrity and limits the temperature rise on the unexposed face to an average of 140 K and a maximum of 180 K at any point, measured over the full door leaf including the frame junction. This is the stricter insulation criterion.
• EI2 applies the same temperature limits but measures only within the central area of the door leaf, excluding the frame edge. EI2 is a less stringent insulation criterion than EI1 and must never be used interchangeably with it in a specification. For example, EI2-120 means the door blocks flames and limits temperature rise on the unexposed side (less strict criterion) for 120 minutes.

EI1 and EI2 must always be specified explicitly — writing “EI” without the suffix 1 or 2 is not a valid classification reference and creates ambiguity in the specification and permit file.

The time rating — 30, 60, 90, 120, or 240 minutes — indicates how long the door must maintain its classification under the standard fire curve. Which classification and time rating are required for a specific opening is determined by the fire safety engineer’s compartmentalisation calculation. The BBL sets only the absolute minimum requirement; a heavier classification may be required due to a project-specific deviation from standard building regulations, a sector-specific regulation such as PGS15 for chemical storage, a client requirement, or an insurer requirement. Content that presents a single fixed classification as “required by the BBL” misrepresents how the regulation works.

How does the custom manufacturing process for fire doors work?

Custom fire door manufacturing begins with a technical specification that defines the opening dimensions, required fire resistance classification, operating mechanism, and any additional performance requirements such as burglar resistance or acoustic attenuation. The manufacturer checks whether the specification falls within the extended application limits of their tested product family and confirms the classification that can be guaranteed for the custom configuration.

Once the specification is confirmed, the process moves through the following stages:

1. Technical review: The manufacturer’s engineering team verifies dimensional tolerances, frame construction, hardware compatibility, and any structural constraints specific to the opening.
2. Production: The door is manufactured to the confirmed specification, using materials and components that match the tested product family. Any deviation from the tested configuration that falls outside the extended application limits would require a new test — a reputable manufacturer will flag this before production begins.
3. Quality control: The finished door is checked against the technical file before leaving the facility. This includes hardware function, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish.
4. Documentation: The manufacturer issues a Declaration of Performance, CE marking documentation, and the relevant classification report. These documents travel with the door and are required for installation sign-off and building permit compliance.
5. Installation: Certified installation is a condition of maintaining the fire resistance classification. The door must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions, which are part of the technical file.

Metacon-Next manufactures all doors at its production facility in Moordrecht, the Netherlands, with in-house R&D and quality control. Delivery and installation are handled exclusively through a network of certified dealers, ensuring that the product warranty and fire resistance guarantee are not voided by incorrect fitting. Learn more about how the company works on the about Metacon-Next page.

What documentation should architects request for a custom fire door?

For a custom fire door, architects should request six categories of documentation: the CE Declaration of Performance, the fire resistance classification report, the extended application report (per EN 15269-1 to -20), the installation instructions, the Declaration of Conformity for any hardware components, and the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) where required for BREEAM or LEED compliance. All of these should be available before the order is placed, not after delivery.

Each document serves a specific purpose in the design file and permit process:

• CE Declaration of Performance: Confirms the door meets the essential requirements of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and states the declared performance characteristics, including fire resistance classification per EN 13501-2. For industrial fire doors, this covers both EN 16034 (fire and smoke resisting closing element) and EN 13241 (industrial door) — both CE-marking obligations apply simultaneously.
• Classification report: The output of the EN 1634-1 fire resistance test (and EN 1634-3 where smoke control is also tested), identifying the tested configuration, the fire resistance class achieved, and the accredited test body that conducted the test. For Metacon-Next products, tests are conducted by Efectis.
• Extended application report: Documents the permissible range of sizes, configurations, and variants that can be manufactured under the tested product family, based on EN 15269-1 to -20. This is the document that confirms a custom dimension is within the certified scope.
• Installation instructions: Define how the door must be installed to maintain its fire resistance classification. Deviation from these instructions voids the classification.
• EPD: An Environmental Product Declaration provides quantified environmental data per unit of product, based on a life cycle assessment in accordance with ISO 14044 and EN 15804. It is an information document, not an environmental award, and is required by an increasing number of project specifications for BREEAM and LEED assessments. Metacon-Next published EPDs for eleven of its main product lines in 2025.

A manufacturer that cannot supply all of these documents at specification stage represents a documentation risk. Incomplete files are a common reason fire door specifications are challenged during permit review or fire safety inspection. Metacon-Next publishes classification reports, CE documentation, and EPDs openly, so architects can verify compliance before committing to a specification. You can request a quotation with full technical documentation included, or contact the team directly with project-specific questions.

For projects with openings that fall outside standard dimensions, the right question to ask a manufacturer is not only “can you make this door?” but “can you certify it, and can you prove it before I place the order?” Those are the two questions that protect the specification, the permit file, and the architect’s professional liability. Where the required fire resistance classification is unclear, the project’s fire safety engineer or the local authority is the appropriate point of reference — door classification requirements depend on a project-specific compartmentalisation calculation that no manufacturer can determine unilaterally. Explore the Metacon-Next product range to see which door types are available for custom industrial applications, or visit metacon-next.com to learn more about the company’s capabilities and dealer network.

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