What inspectors actually look at
- ✓ Gaps at the head, jambs and threshold — oversized gaps leak smoke and fire
- ✓ Intumescent strips and cold-smoke seals still present and continuous
- ✓ Three suitable hinges, not decorative two-hinge hangings
- ✓ A closer that fully latches the door from any angle, including with a seal drag
- ✓ Glazing and letter plates that belong on a fire doorset
Common defects on rented stock
Tenant-fitted extra locks, planed meeting stiles, missing seals after a repaint, and closers wound so weak the door sits ajar. Each one can undo the rating the door was sold with.
An FRA should say which doors are fire doors. The survey then checks those doorsets against that intent.
Repair versus replace
Seals, closers and some ironmongery can be replaced. A warped leaf, the wrong core, or a frame that was never a fire frame usually means a new doorset. We will not sell a seal kit as a miracle fix.
Next step
Fire door services or contact. Mention if the FRA already listed the doors — it shortens the quote.
Common questions
Can I plane a fire door that sticks?
Often that destroys the lipping and the certified gaps. Get the doorset surveyed before anyone takes a plane to it.
Do all internal doors in a house need to be fire doors?
No. The FRA and the layout decide. Escape routes, kitchens and protected stairs are the usual triggers.