Door by door inspections for blocks of flats, HMOs, offices, care homes and commercial buildings. Carried out by Kevin Bonnar or Jon Sheaf, both Level 3 qualified fire door inspectors, with a photograph and a clear verdict for every door.
A fire door is not just a heavy door. It is a tested assembly of leaf, frame, hinges, seals, glazing, closer and latch, and it only performs if every part is right and the door actually closes.
Most failures are small and easy to miss. A closer unhooked by a resident, a leaf planed to clear a new carpet, a lock swapped for one that was never tested with that door.
Kevin and Jon spent decades working with fire-rated doors, glazing and facades before becoming assessors. That is why our findings say exactly what is wrong and whether repair or replacement is the sensible route.
The Fire Safety Order 2005 requires fire safety measures, including fire doors, to be kept in efficient working order and good repair. The Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that flat entrance doors in buildings with two or more homes fall within the Order. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 then added specific checks for residential buildings over 11 metres. Communal fire doors must be checked at least every three months and flat entrance doors at least every twelve months on a best endeavours basis, with records kept. All blocks must also give residents information about why fire doors matter.
The regular checks in the 2022 Regulations are simple visual checks that a responsible person or caretaker can carry out. A full inspection is different. It examines each door against the guidance in BS 8214 and the door’s own certification, and it gives you the baseline that routine checks are measured against.
A signed PDF listing every door inspected, with its location, a photograph, the defects found and a clear verdict of pass, repair or replace. Findings are prioritised so that doors protecting the only escape route are dealt with first. We do not sell or fit doors, so the advice is independent.
If a building has not been inspected recently, at least one of these is likely to apply.
A fire door that does not close fully on its own gives no protection. We check every closer from fully open and from a few degrees.
Intumescent and smoke seals that are painted over, torn or missing leave a path for smoke long before flames arrive.
Gaps between leaf and frame are normally expected to be 2 to 4 mm. Trimmed doors and dropped hinges often exceed this.
Locks, letter plates, viewers and handles fitted after installation can break the door's certification if they were not tested with it.
Non fire-rated glass, cracked panes or missing glazing seals undermine the whole assembly and are often missed.
Fewer than three hinges, missing screws, unrated hinges or a loose frame all reduce how long the door will hold.
Three pieces of legislation set out what must be done and what evidence must be kept.
Requires the responsible person to keep fire doors in efficient working order and good repair.
Confirms that flat entrance doors and the structure of multi-occupied residential buildings are covered.
Adds quarterly communal door checks and annual flat entrance door checks in residential buildings over 11 metres.
Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 further amended the 2005 Order: stronger record-keeping requirements, clearer responsible-person identification and increased penalties. ClearFire door registers are written to the post-156 standard by default.
We have used Jon on several occasions and introduced him to our clients, who have all been very happy with the service. Fair and quick responses. Highly recommend.
Tell us about the building and we confirm scope and availability within one working hour. Kevin or Jon on site, signed report within 24 hours of invoice payment.
Not sure whether you need a full inspection or a routine check? Kevin and Jon are happy to give a straight answer before you book.
In residential buildings over 11 metres, communal doors must be checked at least quarterly and flat entrance doors annually. Elsewhere there is no fixed interval. Guidance commonly suggests every six months, and more often for doors in heavy use.
The responsible person for the building must take steps to make sure they are adequate. Who pays for repair or replacement depends on the lease, and in many leases the door belongs to the leaseholder.
FD30 doors are designed to resist fire for 30 minutes and FD60 for 60 minutes. An S suffix means the door also restricts cold smoke. Most flat entrance and corridor doors are FD30S.
Often, yes. Seals, closers, hinges and minor damage can usually be put right. Where the leaf has been cut down, badly damaged or has no evidence of fire rating, replacement is normally the safer advice.
Flat entrance doors can only be inspected properly with the door open, so access is needed. We agree arrangements with you in advance and record any door that could not be inspected.
No. We inspect and report only. That keeps the advice independent and means you can obtain competitive quotations against a clear written scope.
No. Many older doors still perform well. We judge each door on its condition and construction, and say where upgrading is reasonable and where it is not.
A list or plan of doors if you have one, access arrangements, and any previous inspection report. If none exists we create the door schedule on site.
Tell us about your site. We'll respond within one working hour during business hours.
