Testing of Fire Doors: What You Need to Know

Why is the testing of fire doors important?

A functioning fire door is intended to resist the passage of fire and smoke for a specified period, helping maintain compartmentation and keep escape routes usable.

Its fire rating, however, does not mean that its performance should be taken for granted throughout the life of a building.

Fire doors are used regularly. Hinges can loosen, frames can move, seals can become damaged and repair work or alterations may affect the original assembly. A certification label may show how a door was originally tested or certified, but the installed door must still remain in suitable condition.

Common issues can include:

• damaged or missing intumescent seals;
• damaged cold smoke seals;
• excessive or inconsistent gaps around the door;
• a self closing device that no longer closes the door correctly;
• loose or unsuitable hinges;
• damage to the door leaf or frame;
• unsuitable alterations or replacement hardware;
• damaged glazing or unsuitable replacement of fire rated glass;
• gaps between the frame and surrounding fabric.

Any of these identified issues can affect the protection offered by the doorset.

Fire door inspections therefore provide an important way of finding defects before they lead to a more serious problem.

What should a fire door inspection include?

A fire door inspection should consider the condition and operation of the complete doorset rather than looking at one component in isolation.

The inspection should normally identify the door’s location and purpose before checking the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals, closer, glazing, gaps and surrounding materials.

The door should close completely into its frame and, where required, engage correctly with the latch. The self closing device should operate effectively without needing assistance.

The condition of intumescent seals and cold smoke seals should also be checked. Intumescent materials react to heat, while smoke seals help restrict the passage of cold smoke through gaps before temperatures rise sufficiently for intumescent materials to expand.

Glazing should be secure and compatible with the tested doorset. Where fire rated glass is present, the glass, glazing system and surrounding materials should remain in suitable condition.

Why do gaps around fire doors matter?

Gaps can provide a route through which smoke, hot gases and eventually flames may travel.

Some clearance around a fire door is necessary for it to operate correctly, but excessive or inconsistent gaps can indicate poor installation, damage, movement or deterioration.

The correct gap depends on the tested specification of the door and its location. Inspectors should therefore avoid treating one measurement as appropriate for every fire door.

The threshold is particularly important because requirements can differ depending on the fire door, smoke-control arrangements and seals present.

Visual measurements remain an essential part of an inspection, but they do not always show how air is actually moving through or around the assembly.

What should be recorded during fire door inspections?

Effective fire safety management requires more than carrying out an inspection. Inspection findings need to be recorded and acted upon.

A useful fire door report may include:

• a unique id for each door;
• the door’s location;
• the inspection date;
• the condition of the door leaf and frame;
• closer and self closing device performance;
• gap measurements;
• seal and glazing condition;
• photographic evidence of identified issues;
• recommended remedial action;
• confirmation that repair work has been completed.

Photographic evidence can be particularly useful because it creates a record of the condition of the door at the time of inspection and allows future repairs or deterioration to be compared against previous findings.

The maximum value of a fire door report comes when inspection findings lead to a clear action plan. Simply recording a non compliant door without completing the required remedial action does little to reduce the underlying risk.

What are the UK requirements for fire door inspections?

Fire safety duties in the UK are covered by several pieces of legislation and technical guidance, and requirements differ depending on the type and location of the building.

In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places duties on the responsible person to take suitable fire precautions and maintain relevant fire safety measures.

The fire risk assessment is central to this process. It should identify relevant fire hazards and determine whether the fire precautions within the building, including fire doors where applicable, are suitable.

What checks are required for residential fire doors in England?

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced specific fire-door requirements for multi-occupied residential buildings.

Where the top storey of a relevant residential building is more than 11 metres above ground level, the responsible person must use best endeavours to undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors that lead onto common parts.

Fire doors in communal areas of these buildings require quarterly checks.

These checks include making sure the self closing device is working.

Importantly, these routine checks do not replace the fire risk assessment or professional assessments where greater technical investigation is required. They are intended to identify visible problems that could affect the ability of the door to restrict fire and smoke.

Where an inspection identifies repair or replacement requirements, suitable remedial action should follow.

How do building regulations relate to fire doors?

Building regulations are particularly relevant to a new build, refurbishment or material alteration where fire-resistant construction and escape routes form part of the design requirements.

However, current standards for new fire doors should not automatically be applied retrospectively to conclude that every older fire door requires replacement.

The suitability of an existing door should be considered in the context of its condition, location, evidence, fire risk assessment and the legal duty applying to the building.

The British Woodworking Federation, Fire Door Inspection Scheme and other recognised industry resources can also provide useful best practice information around fire door installation, inspection, certification and maintenance.

Different legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so building operators should make sure the requirements relevant to their location are understood.

Where does air permeability fit into fire door testing?

Visual and functional fire door inspections remain essential. Air permeability testing should be understood as an additional diagnostic approach rather than a replacement for them.

Air permeability describes how air passes through gaps, joints or materials.

Around a door assembly, air flow may occur through:

• gaps between the door leaf and frame;
• the threshold;
• damaged or missing seals;
• glazing details;
• gaps around the frame;
• cracks or openings in the surrounding building fabric.

These leakage paths matter because cold smoke and gases can move through small openings before exposure to significant heat.

An ultrasonic air-leak test can therefore provide additional information about where leakage is occurring, particularly when the weak point is difficult to identify through visual inspection alone.

It does not reproduce a laboratory fire-resistance test, determine the fire rating of a doorset or certify that a fire door is compliant.

Instead, it provides additional evidence about air leakage through the tested boundary.

What does good air permeability mean for a fire door?

There is no single universal air permeability value that defines whether every fire door is satisfactory.

In this context, good air permeability performance means unwanted air leakage is sufficiently controlled to support the intended performance of the door and surrounding compartment.

The correct interpretation depends on the doorset, specification, building design, fire strategy and purpose of the test.

How air moves through a boundary can also be affected by the fabric’s material, seals, joints, installation quality, moisture and pressure differences. A permeable fabric or poorly sealed junction will allow more air flow than a well-sealed equivalent.

For the wider building envelope, controlling unwanted leakage can also support energy efficiency and thermal comfort properties. For fire doors, however, the primary consideration remains fire safety and compartmentation.

How can Portascanner® AIRTIGHT support fire door testing?

Coltraco Ultrasonics’ Portascanner® AIRTIGHT is an ultrasonic air-leak detection and quantification instrument designed for the built environment.

Rather than relying on visible signs of leakage alone, the equipment uses ultrasound to identify very small leak sites through doors, joints, walls and other compartment boundaries.

For fire-door applications, this can provide additional information about leakage around the doorset and surrounding fabric.

A visual inspection may identify an obviously damaged smoke seal or excessive gap. In other situations, a door can appear complete while an unwanted air path remains around the threshold, frame, glazing or adjacent construction.

Portascanner® AIRTIGHT can help locate these areas non-destructively.

The instrument is designed to:

• locate individual air-leak sites;
• quantify identified leakage;
• record the location of leaks;
• support photographic evidence and reporting;
• allow testing before and after repair work;
• support wider compartmentation and room-integrity assessments.

This helps inspection and maintenance teams focus remedial action on the areas where leakage has actually been identified.

Does Portascanner® AIRTIGHT replace a fire door inspection?

No.

Conventional fire door inspections remain crucial because they assess the condition and operation of the door and its components.

Ultrasonic testing provides different information.

For example, an inspection may confirm whether the hinges are secure, the door closes correctly and the seals are present. Portascanner® AIRTIGHT can then provide additional evidence about whether air is passing through particular points around that assembly.

The two approaches therefore answer different questions.

Portascanner® AIRTIGHT should also not be treated as a replacement for fire-resistance certification or laboratory fire test methods used to establish how a particular door construction performs when exposed to fire and heat.

Its role is diagnostic: identifying and quantifying air leakage in situ without damaging the building fabric.

Effective fire safety requires more than one test

No single inspection or test can demonstrate every aspect of a fire door’s performance.

Laboratory fire test methods provide evidence about how a door design behaves when exposed to controlled fire conditions.

Routine fire door inspections check whether an installed door remains complete, functional and in suitable condition.

Professional assessments can investigate more complex concerns about certification, damage or suitability.

Air-leak testing can provide additional evidence about leakage paths through or around the installed assembly.

Together, these approaches provide the responsible person with better information for fire risk assessment, maintenance and remedial decisions.

Coltraco Ultrasonics’ role is not to replace competent fire-door inspection or fire-resistance testing. Portascanner® AIRTIGHT provides a non-destructive way to identify and quantify leakage that may otherwise be difficult to locate, supporting better informed inspection, repair and compartmentation management.

Supporting fire safety with ultrasonic technology

Coltraco Ultrasonics is a British manufacturer of ultrasonic technologies, exporting its equipment globally and twice receiving The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Across fire safety, Coltraco provides ultrasonic technologies designed to support the inspection and verification of fire suppression systems, sprinkler systems and compartment integrity.

For organisations investigating air leakage around fire doors, rooms or other compartment boundaries, Portascanner® AIRTIGHT provides a practical way to locate leakage without destructive investigation.

Used alongside appropriate fire door inspections, fire risk assessments and competent judgement, this can provide teams with clearer evidence when deciding where remedial action is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements for fire door testing?

The testing of fire doors can include different forms of assessment depending on the purpose.

Routine inspection generally checks the door leaf, frame, seals, hinges, self closing device, glazing, gaps and condition of the surrounding installation.

Laboratory test methods are used to establish the fire-resistance performance of door designs, while specialist diagnostic techniques can provide additional information about installed doors.

The fire risk assessment and relevant legal requirements should determine the appropriate approach.

How often should fire doors be checked?

The required frequency depends on the building and applicable legislation.

In England, where the top storey of a multi-occupied residential building is more than 11 metres above ground level, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks of fire doors in communal areas.

The responsible person must also use best endeavours to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors leading onto common parts.

Other buildings and additional inspection requirements should be considered through the fire risk assessment and applicable fire safety duties.

What should be checked during a fire door inspection?

A fire door inspection should consider the complete doorset, including the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals, self closing device, gaps, glazing and relevant hardware.

Inspectors should also look for damage, unsuitable alterations and problems around the surrounding building fabric that could affect performance.

What is an air tightness test for a fire door?

An air tightness or air-leak test can identify where air is passing through or around a door assembly.

Ultrasonic equipment can help locate leakage around areas such as the frame, threshold, seals, glazing and adjacent fabric.

This can provide additional diagnostic information alongside a conventional fire door inspection.

What is a good air permeability result for a fire door?

There is no single good air permeability value that applies to every fire door.

Results need to be considered in relation to the door’s purpose, specification, location, smoke-control requirements, building design and wider fire strategy.

Air permeability testing should therefore provide evidence to support assessment rather than being treated as a universal pass-or-fail fire-door certification.

Can anyone inspect a fire door?

Routine checks may be carried out by appropriately instructed building personnel where the applicable guidance allows.

More detailed fire door inspections, professional assessments and decisions about complex defects should be undertaken by people with the necessary competence.

The responsible person remains responsible for making sure suitable inspection arrangements are in place and that identified issues lead to appropriate remedial action.