What Happens If a Fire Door Fails an Inspection?
A failed fire door sounds alarming, but not every failure means you need to replace the whole door. In many cases, a missing hinge screw, damaged seal or poorly adjusted closer causes the problem. The word “fail” can describe anything from a minor defect that takes minutes to fix to serious damage that requires a […]
Fire Door Hinges: How Many Are Required and Why?
Hinges are the least interesting component on a fire door and one of the most consequential. Nobody inspects a building and worries about hinges. They worry about closers, seals and certification labels. Then you meet a door that somebody hung on two hinges four years ago. It has twisted far enough that the gap along […]
Fire Door Gap Tolerances: What’s Allowed and What Fails
Most fire doors need a gap of between 2mm and 4mm around the head and the two jambs. Measure it with the door closed. Three millimetres is the figure most inspectors work to. That answers the question. It will not, on its own, tell you whether your doors pass a fire door survey. The gap […]
Fire Door Inspection Checklist: What Does an Inspector Check?
A fire door is not one product. It is an assembly of a dozen components that only works if every one of them is correct, compatible and properly installed. That is why fire door inspections have a reputation for being unforgiving, and why so many doors fail them. Knowing what an inspector actually looks at […]
How Often Should Fire Doors in Blocks of Flats Be Inspected?
If you own, manage or live in a block of flats, you may hear several different answers to this question. Some guidance says every six months, while other sources say every three months or once a year. The correct answer depends on the type of door and the height of the building. Since January 2023, […]
Do Fire Doors Need Self-Closers? UK Requirements Explained
A fire door that is standing open is not a fire door. It is a hole in a wall. That single sentence explains why self-closing devices exist, and why fire risk assessors, inspectors and enforcing authorities take them so seriously. The question of whether every fire door needs one comes up constantly, usually because a […]
How Often Should Fire Doors Be Inspected in Commercial Buildings?
If you manage a commercial building, you may expect the law to give you a simple answer such as every three months, six months or once a year. It does not. Unlike blocks of flats above 11 metres, commercial premises do not follow one fixed statutory inspection interval for fire doors. Instead, the law requires […]
Does My Flat Entrance Door Need to Be a Fire Door?
If your flat opens onto a shared hallway, lobby or stairwell, then almost certainly yes. Your front door is not simply the entrance to your home. It is a working part of the building’s fire protection, and in most blocks it needs to be a certified fire door. That answer surprises a lot of leaseholders, […]
Who Is Responsible for Fire Door Inspections in a Block of Flats?
Ask three people in a block of flats who is responsible for the fire doors and you will often get three different answers. The leaseholder assumes the freeholder handles it. The freeholder assumes the managing agent has it covered. The managing agent assumes the fire risk assessor flagged anything that mattered. Meanwhile the door on […]
How Can I Tell If My Flat’s Front Door Is a Certified Fire Door?
Your flat’s front door may look solid and secure, but that does not automatically make it a certified fire door. From the communal hallway, a certified fire door can look almost identical to an ordinary heavy door. Fortunately, you can check several clear signs yourself. The certification label, seals, self-closer, hinges, gaps and overall construction […]