Formal fire door inspection
A more thorough check of every fire door than the monthly visual look — measuring the gaps around the frame and threshold with a gauge, checking intumescent strips and smoke seals are intact and undamaged, confirming the self-closer pulls the door fully shut and latched from any open angle, and checking hinges, glazing and signage.
A more thorough check of every fire door than the monthly visual look — measuring the gaps around the frame and threshold with a gauge, checking intumescent strips and smoke seals are intact and undamaged, confirming the self-closer pulls the door fully shut and latched from any open angle, and checking hinges, glazing and signage.
A fire door only holds back fire and smoke for its rated time if the gaps, seals and closer are all within tolerance. A door that looks fine but does not fully self-close, or has a gap too wide at the threshold, fails exactly when it matters most.
Record gap readings per door, not just a pass/fail.
Worth it for older doors, or after any damage or repainting.
Who this is for
Every venue with fire doors — effectively all commercial premises with more than one room or storey.
What you’ll hold
- Dated inspection record per door
- Gap-gauge readings, seal and closer check results
Watch out for
- Painting over a fire door, or drilling into it to fit a lock or sign, without recording it — this can invalidate its certification.
- Checking that the door closes but not that it fully latches into the frame — a door resting shut is not the same as a door held shut.
- Assuming a door that passed on installation still passes years later, once new flooring or carpet has changed the threshold gap.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Fact sheet: Fire doors (regulation 10) checked 2026-09-02
- Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) checked 2026-09-02
See also
- Fire doors, escape signage and action notices— this becomes part of getting open →
- Fire door self-check
- Fire risk assessment review
This is item 17 of 60 in the free UK Compliance Calendar. See the whole list →