Fire doors are the building’s primary compartmentation in residential buildings and a critical layer in commercial premises. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced a specific duty, in residential buildings with a top storey above 11 metres, to check communal fire doors at least every 3 months and flat entrance doors at least every 12 months. Before Grenfell, door inspection was routinely skipped or carried out by untrained staff. That era is over.
A fire door is a tested assembly: leaf, frame, intumescent seals, smoke seals, hinges, overhead closer, lock or latch, and any glazed apertures all contribute to its fire-resistance rating (FD30, FD60 or FD90 under BS 476-22 / BS EN 1634-1). A door loses its certification the moment any of those components is replaced with a non-compatible part. In practice, the single most common remedial finding is hinges replaced with standard bearings instead of CE-marked Grade 13 intumescent-cored hinges.
Inspection should follow a documented methodology. The Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) run by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers and the Institution of Fire Engineers is the recognised UK register. Alternative routes include BWF-CERTIFIRE for installers of complete door assemblies and Q-Mark scheme registration for maintenance firms. Listings on INFIRISK carry verified FDIS / BWF-CERTIFIRE chips where applicable.
Remedial work ranges from trivial (replacing missing intumescent strip) to substantial (ripping out non-compliant fire doors and installing certified assemblies on new frames). A competent specialist will report not only defects but also the certification evidence that makes the remedy defensible at audit.
