Buying Guide

EI60 vs EI90 vs EI120 Fire Doors: 60, 90 or 120 Minutes?

24 August 2026

EI60 vs EI90 vs EI120 Fire Doors: 60, 90 or 120 Minutes?

A practical map of where EI 60, EI 90 and EI 120 each belong — and the specification process that avoids expensive retrofits.

Fire-door minutes are not a quality score — they are a code requirement that varies opening by opening. Specifying 120 everywhere wastes budget; specifying 60 where the strategy demands 90 fails inspection. Here is the practical map.

EI60 vs EI90 vs EI120: Quick Answer

An EI60 fire door provides 60 minutes of integrity and insulation, EI90 provides 90 minutes, and EI120 provides 120 minutes under the stated test standard. The project fire strategy—not a general preference—must assign the required classification to every opening. The rating applies only to the complete tested doorset.

Where Each Rating Belongs

  • EI 60 — apartment entrance doors, hotel guest rooms, corridors and common areas in many codes
  • EI 90 — higher-risk compartments, commercial and institutional buildings; the practical benchmark in many Gulf, SE Asia and Central Asia projects
  • EI 120 — critical separation: plant rooms, transformer rooms, high-rise cores and escape stair enclosures in demanding strategies

E vs EI: Read Both Letters

The minutes only mean what the letters say. E (integrity) means flames and hot gases are held back; EI adds insulation, limiting heat transfer so the escape route beyond stays usable. Escape corridors and compartment walls usually require EI. An “E 120” door is not a superior “EI 60” — they answer different requirements.

Specify the Doorset, Not the Leaf

The rating certifies leaf, frame, intumescent seals, closer and hardware as one tested assembly. Substituting any component voids it. Order the certified doorset and collect the test certificate with its hardware schedule — inspectors and insurers will ask for exactly that.

A Four-Step Specification Process

  • 1. Take the required rating per opening from the fire strategy, never from habit
  • 2. Confirm E vs EI for each location
  • 3. Match destination-market approvals (EN 1634-1 in most export markets, UL 10C in North America)
  • 4. For entrances also needing security, specify a dual-rated doorset

Review WONLY's fire-rated security door solution for assembly evidence, hardware coordination and project inputs. Applicable configurations can combine EN 1634 fire performance with GB 17565 Class A security; confirm the exact report scope and destination approval before specifying.

Send the opening schedule, required E/EI class, wall construction, dimensions and hardware through the project enquiry form for a configuration review.

FAQ

Can I install a higher rating than required? Yes — over-specification passes inspection, but weight, closer force and cost rise; spend the delta only where the strategy justifies it.