A door is only as good as the assembly
A fire door only performs if the whole assembly performs — leaf, frame, seals, hinges, closer, latch, glazing, and the gaps between them. A door with a certified leaf and a 6mm head gap is not a fire door. Neither is one with three-quarters of its intumescent strip painted over, or a closer that stops short of the latch. What matters is the assembly as installed, which is why every survey we carry out records the assembly rather than the label.
What we inspect on every door
Sixteen components, each recorded against a stated criterion as pass, fail or not applicable — in one pass, on the door, not reconstructed afterwards.
| Component | What it has to be |
|---|---|
| Identification label | Visible label or plug to the top or hinge edge naming manufacturer, rating and certification body. |
| Door leaf condition | No holes, splits, delamination or impact damage. Surface intact, edge banding continuous. |
| Door leaf thickness | Matches the label — FD30 typically 44–46mm, FD60 typically 54mm — and not planed beyond tolerance. |
| Frame condition | Intact, square, free from splits or rot. No gaps between frame and surrounding wall. |
| Frame to wall fixings | Fire-rated steel fixings into solid substrate, typically six per frame. Foam-only fixing is not acceptable. |
| Architrave and stops | Architrave and planted stops continuous and fixed to frame and wall. Stops typically 25mm minimum depth. |
| Intumescent strips | 15mm minimum on FD30, 20mm on FD60. Continuous to head and stiles, undamaged, not painted over. |
| Smoke seals | Where required: in compression with the frame, continuous and undamaged. |
| Threshold / drop seal | Fitted where the threshold gap requires it, making contact across the full leaf width. |
| Hinges | Minimum three per leaf, CE-marked and fire-rated to Grade 13 minimum. Steel screws, none missing. |
| Self-closing device | CE-marked. Closes fully and latches unaided. No oil leaks. Power size correct for the leaf weight. |
| Latch and lock | Correct fire rating. Latch engages fully on closing. Not held back by tape or wedges. |
| Vision panel | Fire-rated glass, correct beading, intumescent backing strips present, glass not cracked. |
| Door furniture | Handles, kick plates and push plates compatible with the doorset and not compromising integrity. |
| Signage | Correct sign to both faces where required, to BS 5499 — Keep Shut, or Keep Locked Shut where appropriate. |
| Hold-open devices | If fitted: CE-marked, linked to the fire alarm and released on activation. Wedges are not acceptable. |
The gaps
Gaps are where most doors fail, and they are the one thing a photograph alone cannot settle. We measure them with a gauge, record the reading, and photograph the gauge in the gap as the reading is taken.
Head
Maximum 3mm across the head of the leaf.
Hinge jamb
Maximum 3mm down the hinge side.
Lock jamb
Maximum 3mm down the lock side.
Threshold
Maximum 8mm, or 10mm where a smoke seal is fitted at the threshold — verified against the datasheet or field of application.
A reading outside tolerance is recorded as a measurement, not an opinion. That matters when the register goes to a contractor to price, or to a regulator to scrutinise.
The closer test most surveys skip
A self-closing device has to close the door fully and latch it unaided — from 90°, from 60° and from 30°. Doors that pass at 90° and fail at 30° are common, and they are the ones that matter: a door that does not complete its swing does not hold back smoke at the point someone has run through it.
Where a closer is fitted we test from all three angles and record the door closing. Two things follow that a single pass or fail cannot capture: whether the closer's power size suits the leaf weight, and whether a chain closer has been fitted at all — chain closers are unsuitable for fire doors, and finding one is a finding in itself.
Certification we can verify, and certification we cannot
If the label is illegible, or there is no label and no other evidence, we do not state that the door is FD30. We state what was found, what rating the door appears to be, and what would be needed to establish it — test evidence, a field of application report, a door schedule or installation records. A door reported as “FD30 — unverified” is an honest finding a duty holder can act on. A door reported as FD30 on the strength of a guess is a liability sitting in a building safety case.
The absence of a label is not, by itself, a defect. It is an absence of evidence, and the two need different responses — plenty of sound doors have had their labels painted over or their plugs removed during decoration.
Where a doorset departs from the configuration it was tested in — a different closer, an added vision panel, a resized leaf — that is recorded as a deviation from the tested scope and referred to the field of application. It is not classified as a defect, because it may well be covered. What it is, is a question that needs answering with evidence.
What you receive
A record sheet for every door
One page per doorset: reference, location, block, floor, rating, configuration, every component result, the gap readings, the photographs and the surveyor's declaration.
A severity-rated defect register
Every defect logged with its location, a photograph, a defect type and a rating of critical, major or minor against defined criteria.
A priced-ready schedule
Built so remediation can be costed without a second investigation visit — by us, or by any contractor you appoint.
A certification section
Every door whose rating could not be verified, what evidence was found, and the action needed to resolve it.
An honest record of what was not inspected
Doors that could not be accessed are listed as not inspected. No conclusion is drawn about their condition.
How findings are graded
Critical
The door cannot perform its function as it stands — a disabled or missing self-closer, a latch held back, a wedge, or an unlinked hold-open device. Smoke passes tonight.
Major
The door will not achieve its rated performance for the full period, or has been installed outside the scope of its test: missing or painted intumescent, wrong or missing hinges, an unverifiable leaf thickness, a frame fixed with foam.
Minor
A defect that does not currently defeat the door but will worsen, or a documentation gap that leaves performance unprovable — loose architrave, missing signage, incompatible furniture.
Who commissions fire door surveys
Managing agents & accountable persons
The door-by-door evidence your building safety case and your Regulation 10 duties depend on, photographed and prioritised.
Housing providers
A defensible record across a stock of flat entrance and communal doors, in one consistent format.
Main contractors
Verification that the doorsets installed match what was specified and approved — before handover, while it can still be corrected.
Fire risk assessors
The door-level detail a fire risk assessment relies on but rarely covers in this depth.
Frequently asked questions
How often do fire doors need to be inspected?
Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, responsible persons for buildings above 11 metres with two or more residential units must carry out quarterly checks of fire doors in communal areas, and annual checks of flat entrance doors, on a best-endeavours basis. Those duties sit alongside a professional condition survey rather than being replaced by one. What suits your building depends on its height, use and occupancy — we will tell you plainly what applies.
Is a fire door survey the same as a fire risk assessment?
No. A fire risk assessment covers the whole fire strategy of a building and is a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. A fire door survey is a physical inspection of the doorsets themselves, and it provides evidence the assessment relies on. Goldthread Ltd does not carry out fire risk assessments.
Do you survey every door or a sample?
Either, and the report says which it covers. Sampling is legitimate for some purposes and misleading for others. What is not acceptable is a sample presented as a full survey — so any door listed but not inspected is recorded as not inspected, with no conclusion drawn about its condition.
Can you fix the defects you find?
Yes, and you are under no obligation to use us. The register is built so any competent contractor can price it without a second investigation visit. Where we do carry out the remediation, the same evidence discipline applies — photographed before concealment, referenced to the tested detail.
What if a door has no label?
We record what evidence was found, state the apparent rating as unverified, and set out what would establish it. We will not certify a rating we cannot verify, and the absence of a label is not treated as a defect in itself.
Find out what condition your doors are really in.
Tell us about the building and we'll recommend the right starting point.
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