Fire doors are an inspection item that gets a quick glance and a tick. Four small, common faults turn that tick into a problem.
1. The closer has been removed
A self-closer is essential. A door propped open or with the closer unscrewed is, functionally, not a fire door at all.
2. Intumescent strips damaged or painted over
The strips that expand under heat are easily damaged by tradespeople or covered by careless decoration. Inspect them at every visit.
3. Gaps too wide
Worn hinges, dropped doors and badly fitted thresholds open up gaps that compromise the seal. A pound coin should not slip through the gap around a fire door.
4. The wrong door
A tenant or contractor replaces the original door with a domestic internal door that looks similar but is not fire-rated. Check for the certification label, usually on the top edge.
Two minutes per fire door, every inspection. It is the cheapest fire-safety check available.
