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Many towns and villages have buildings that don’t meet the criteria for statutory listing, but they are of historical significance to the local area. They could be relatively recent 20th-century buildings or even street furniture and everything in between.

Whatever subject you can think of, there are probably dozens of different myths and inaccuracies that many believe to be true –  most of these are entirely harmless. But, when you’re talking about fire doors, myth and misconception could very easily put lives in jeopardy. Fire doors can often be the last barrier between yourself and a fire, and one which could potentially turn into a lifesaver. In this blog, we’re hoping to dispel some of the most dangerous myths surrounding fire doors and reaffirm those which are true. What is a Fire Door?  A fire door is one that has been manufactured and fitted to exact specifications. FD30 is the most common form of fire door, and providing it is installed correctly by a professional carpenter with the right ironmongery and fittings, will stand firm against flames and smoke for up to half an hour. “Am I Required to Replace Every Door In My Home With a Fire Door?”   No, standard doors are absolutely fine. In most cases, installing a fire door is a matter of personal choice that offers added peace of mind. If you are considering installing one, you will need to consider the following though: Inspect the doorframe. FD30 rated fire doors are typically 10cm thicker than a standard internal door. Fire doors are nothing more than thick planks of wood if they aren’t fitted correctly. You should trust only an experienced carpenter with knowledge on fire doors to fit them. Close your doors fully when you go to bed or leave the house – it's imperative not to prop them open for obvious reasons “Does Every Property Need a Fire Door?” As mentioned above, whether or not to install a fire door is up to you, if you're undertaking a renovation or conversion – your contractors will generally be able to advise you whether or not you need them. But there are a few instances where they are necessary: If you have a door leading into the main house from a garage in a two storey building. If you live or are renovating a three storey home, then any door leading from a staircase and into a room must have fire doors. Common Fire Door Myths   Myth #1: A Standard Door With Flame Proof Paint is a Fire Door… X Wrong There’s no conceivable way that painting alone would turn a standard door into one recognised by industry bodies such as the British Woodworking Federation. Each fire door is carefully made up of approved materials and components. Myth #2: It’s A Tenants Responsibility to Be Educated on Fire Doors  X Wrong If you are a landlord and you’re renting a property out to tenants, then you are the ‘responsible person’ under the Regulatory Reform Order of 2005, which means that you’re the responsible party for the people living in the property. Research undertaken during Fire Door Safety Week shows that over half of tenants living in flats have no idea as to the identity of the responsible person in their building. If, as a landlord, you don’t have the required skills or knowledge, then you must appoint someone who does – pleading ignorance is a dangerous game to be playing where human lives are concerned. Myth #3: I Shouldn’t Place Any Items In Front of The Door, Even If They Are Light and Manoeuvrable ✓  Correct Very simply, there should be absolutely no obstruction directly in front of or leading up to the door. In case of a fire, you need to be able to move quickly; smoke and flames could be hampering your visibility and tripping over an item in front of the door could have disastrous consequences. Myth #4: The Gap Between The Door And Frame Doesn’t Matter  X Wrong Although there is a gap between the frame and the door on standard doors, the perimeter around the edge of the fire door is absolutely crucial in the prevention of smoke and fumes passing through to the other side. On a fire door with smoke seals, this gap should only be the same as a £1 coin (about 3mm). The gap between the base of the door and the floor can be larger at 8mm, but ideally, you shouldn't see any light under the door. Always check your doors fire certification for exact measurements. Myth #5: I Can Find Everything I Need to Know From My Fire Door Accreditation Certificate ✓  Correct Every fire door currently on sale must have a current independently accredited test certificate. This informs the buyer of the door’s fire rating, test criteria and manufacturing conformity. It also shows that the door’s components meet the required performance and safety guidelines, along with critical installation information. Look for a label or plug certification mark; you can't verify that the door is fit for purpose without one. Myth #6: You Can Fit Any Metal Lock On The Door X Wrong Metal gets hot very, very quickly and once it's exposed to enough heat, it can go from becoming the strongest element of the door to the weakest in the blink of an eye. This is why it's so important to purchase fire tested ironmongery. Further Fire Myths Myth: Flames Cause Most Deaths X Wrong While it's clear that the flames of a fire are incredibly dangerous, it is not right to suggest that they are responsible for the most casualties. The thick, dense clouds of black fumes and toxic chemicals are far more dangerous.     Whether it’s the smoke that restricts oxygen levels leading to suffocation or the toxic fumes from burning materials entering the lungs, it's the most common reason for loss of life when a fire does break out. Myth: People Can’t Always Smell Smoke In Their Sleep ✓  Correct People often make the mistake of assuming that they’ll be woken by the smell of smoke. This isn’t the case – more often than not, people that do wake up do so when it’s too late, which is why a smoke detector is absolutely crucial. Although fires between midnight and 11 am are less likely to happen, statistics show that the fatality rates during this period are higher than any other period of the day. Myth: Once Smoke Detectors & Fire Alarms Are Fitted They Must Be Maintained ✓  Correct Once your detectors and alarms are installed, it's easy to neglect them. While having them installed is the right course of action, they are utterly useless if they aren't maintained properly.       Testing your alarms regularly is especially important if, like most of us, your equipment is battery powered. They were 326 fire-related deaths in the UK during the course of 2016/17, and by-and-large these figures have dropped since 2009/10, but it’s thought that many of these fatalities could well have been prevented.   At UK Oak Doors, our range of fire doors and accessories are designed to provide the protection and peace-of-mind that you need when you’re protecting those things that mean the most. If you have any questions about fire doors or any of our other products, then give UK Oak Doors a call today on 01455 565 565 where one of our helpful sales team will be happy to help. Or better yet, why not visit our showroom to take a look at all of our products in person.   Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change

We all associate our homes as our safe place, once we close the front door, we can block ourselves from the world and recharge and relax for a new day.

Thinking of oiling your new oak doors yourself or would you like to skip the hassle and the doors to arrive pre-finished? The time has come to take the plunge and buy new oak doors. You’ve chosen your favourite style, and you’ve opted for stunning solid oak. But one final decision remains. Should you choose untreated or pre-finished oak doors? Here’s how to tackle that last question, with four simple points for your consideration.

If you want to keep your solid oak doors in stunning condition, oak door treatments are essential. From the moment your door is delivered, you need to know why, when and how to apply treatment to your doors. This essential guide provides everything you need to know.

Veneer is a thin layer of wood, used to sandwich a thicker, more readily available piece of wood such as plywood. Veneer became popular during the Second World War, when certain types of wood - including oak - were in short supply. As an alternative, thin layers of oak were used to give the appearance of solid wood but without the associated cost and raw material requirement.

If you’re buying new doors for your home, it’s time to pause and think about what you really need. Should you opt for stunning solid oak? Or would oak veneer be a worthy alternative at a lesser cost? To help you make the decision, we’ve put together five must-ask questions to reveal all you need to know.

Helping your local bird population can be as rewarding for you as it is for them! Anyone can help birds, whatever their age - it’s a great way of teaching children about wildlife from a young age. We have compiled a guide of the top things you can do, all year round to help birds.

Despite there being more than 20,000 species of edible plants in the world, less than 20 of these provide around 90% of the plant food we eat. This means that if you ever find yourself stranded in the wilderness, if you know what to look for and what to avoid, you should able to find plenty of nutritious (though not necessarily delicious...) food sources to keep you going until you find civilisation.

Ever been stumped by complicated technical terminology or DIY jargon? Not to worry - we've tackled those technical terms and delved into the DIY jargon to bring you our BIG guide to the meaning behind all that tricky lingo! Just click the image below to explore our illustrated guide to DIY jargon, or scroll down for the text version. For more jargon-busting, check out our guide to door jargon.

If you've always wanted to decorate the outside of your house but just haven’t known where to start, door decoration is a nice place to begin! The front door is the focal point of the outside of your house. It’s usually the most eye-catching feature and even if it’s not, whoever approaches your home to enter it will be greeted with the festive cheer of your decorations.

Yes, we’re finding it hard to believe, too. It’s November and Christmas is less than 2 months away; where did 2014 go?! Although the arrival of winter means that we’re going to have to once again suffer the cold and miserable weather, it cannot be denied that this time of year is full of fun due to the holiday celebrations and partying!

To continue our series of posts celebrating National Tree Week, we wanted to share some useful information about tree diseases and why it is so important to manage them. In the UK trees and woodlands provide an ecosystem that’s valuable to the economy, society and wildlife. There are many threats to our tree population and tree diseases are just one of these perils that we can help to manage.

All the trees listed in this post are on the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) list. Be aware of these restrictions when buying furniture or home improvements made out of these woods. Whilst the trade of these species may not always be illegal, they all have restrictions to their trade.

Internal doors are made in several standardised sizes. Most modern doors are 1981mm x 762mm, but there are bigger and smaller doors on the market too. If you live in a property that has unusually sized door openings, you may find it difficult to find the door you want in a size that matches the opening. The best solution is to buy a door that is slightly too large and trim it down to fit.

Putting up a shelf is one of the most basic, but important, DIY jobs. Shelving offers easy and convenient storage space, and allows you to make much more effective use of the wall space in your home.

Sanding a wooden floor is one of those jobs that looks easy, but is actually surprisingly difficult and time consuming. If you want to get a smooth and even finish you will need to use the right equipment and work carefully and efficiently. It can be tempting to simply purchase a sanding machine and rush over the floor as if you were using a vacuum cleaner, but this will ruin the patination on the floor, and could leave you with unsightly gap too. This handy how-to guide will help you to pick the right equipment and achieve the best possible results.

Aside from building houses for birds and butterflies, planting trees and of course making our lovely oak doors, we have a bit of a passion for interior design and DIY. We just love keeping an eye on the latest and greatest creations from some of our favourite bloggers and so we wanted to put together some of the best! We’ve been looking at some amazing DIY wall decorations, most of which you just wouldn’t believe weren’t bought from a swanky home boutique! Take a look at our top picks where you’ll find some comments from their creators as well as links to the tutorials. With just a few materials and a touch of imagination you could soon be hanging an eye-catching new piece of wall décor!

It’s once again time for our annual photo competition which gives you the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes by sending your photographs to us. Simply send us pictures of your  internal doors, external doors,architraves, skirting or accessories such as handles or hinges purchased from UK Oak Doors.

Butterfly houses provide the ideal spot for butterflies to hibernate, and to use as a roosting spot during warmer months. Unfortunately stories of people finding butterflies using the houses are rare, but, even if you’re not lucky enough for a butterfly to take up residence in the house, the box is still a beautiful garden accessory.