Fire Door Failures: How to Spot Them

Regulation 10 outlines the requirement for regular inspections in buildings over eleven metres tall, and states that every resident of multi-occupied housing should be educated on the importance of fire doors, with a dedicated source to report faults to, whether that be a building manager or Responsible Person.

Our latest white paper, ‘A Burning Truth: The Reality of Fire Door Safety in Social Housing,’ highlights the lack of fire door inspections across England. Whilst 89% of communal doors have been inspected at least once since 2023, only 46% of front entrance doors in English social housing have been inspected, leaving a large section of society potentially vulnerable.

The checks listed below help identify common warning signs and are based on government and leading industry-body advice; they do not replace the need for an inspection by a competent person, or the manufacturer’s unique installation and maintenance instructions.

Incorrect Fire Door Gaps

Fire doors should be installed within the limits specified by the manufacturer’s instructions or certifications. Generally, the gaps between the door leaf and the frame are between two to four millimetres. The threshold gap must comply with the relevant fire and smoke-control evidence; the door must fit neatly within its frame, without prohibiting the self-closing device.

If you suspect a fire door has been installed incorrectly, or perhaps it needs re-adjusting within the frame, contact your dedicated Responsible Person.

Faulty Self-Closing Devices

Unfortunately, it’s common for closers to be removed or damaged, creating a critical flaw within a building’s compartmentation strategy. Fire doors must remain shut.

A fire door should be able to completely close, overcoming any resistance or friction, regardless of where it is released. To test this, close a fire door from the maximum-swing angle and at fifteen degrees. The door should completely close.

Closer faults can have several causes. They may need their hydraulic valves, screws or brackets adjusted, or require the arm to be realigned. Closers can have hydraulic fluid leaks, meaning the pressure has failed. Internal springs and gears can also fail, where the closer fails to pull the door shut despite previous adjustments. Report self-closing device faults immediately; any maintenance or adjustments should be completed by a competent individual.

Fire Door Seals

Fire doors have seals to prevent the spread of heat and smoke, expanding under heat to fill the gaps between the door leaf and frame. They’re a critical part of a door’s fire-stopping technology, and can include rubber ‘fins’ or additional brushes to improve smoke control capabilities, which help to block cold smoke before temperatures rise.

It’s important to check that the seals are complete around the door and are not damaged, covered or missing.

Fire Door Identification

Fire doors should be easily identifiable. Clear identification makes building management much simpler. Fire doors will often have some type of labelling or plugging system, which provides key information on their fire rating, manufacturer and certification.

Sentry Doors are certified under the BM TRADA Q-Mark scheme, meaning each door has a small plug; the inner colour represents the status of manufacture, the outer being the period of fire integrity and the manufacturer’s unique company number is displayed in the centre.

These identification systems are used by inspectorsto verify the suitability, fire rating, and manufacturer of a fire door.

Fire Door Structural Integrity

The leaf of a fire door can be easily checked for structural damage. If a door has warped, it may not close completely or sit correctly in the frame. Any holes, splits, gouges, or other damage can also compromise the fire door.

Inspect both faces, the top and side edges of the door leaf, checking for any unapproved drilled holes or modifications which may void the compliance of the fire door. In addition, ensure the fire door signage is present and clear.

It’s important to report to your dedicated Responsible Person or building manager as soon as possible; damage to the structural integrity of the fire door may require replacing the door leaf or doorset.

Checking Fire Door Hardware

Often, fire doors have replaced hardware, resulting in what is known as ‘Frankenstein’ doors, which contain untested, non-fire-rated or unapproved components which may be outside of the original manufacturer’s accumulated test evidence and scope.

It’s important to stick within the limits of test-based evidence; however, you can check that all the hardware is intact and securely fixed. Ensure that all the required screws are present, and that the hinges are free from excessive wear, damage and corrosion, which could affect operation. Each door should have the correct number of hinges, specified by the manufacturer.