A fire door check takes a few minutes at the door when the items are walked in a fixed order, and the order matters because it is the record that proves the check. The fact sheet lists what a check covers: whether there has been any alteration or damage to the door's glazing apertures or air transfer grille, whether there are gaps around the door frame and whether the seals and hinges are fitted correctly, that the door closer shuts the door, that the door closes correctly around the whole frame, and that there is no visible damage to the door or the closer. This page is that list in the order it is walked, with what a pass and a fail look like for each. The fire door inspection checklist on this site prints it sized to your building, free, and the paid product keeps each completed check against the door.
At the door, before touching it
Read the label or the certification record so the check is against the doorset's own requirements. Look at the glazing apertures and any air transfer grille for alteration or damage: a replaced pane, a removed grille, a crack. Look at the leaf and the frame for visible damage, deliberate or from wear. Each is a line with a result before the door moves.
The gaps, the seals and the hinges
With the door closed, the gaps around the frame against what the doorset requires, the seals present, continuous and undamaged, and the hinges fitted correctly and secure. The fact sheet asks for these three as a group; the checklist records them as three lines because they fail separately.
The closer and the closing
Open the door and let it go: the closer shuts the door, and the door closes correctly around the whole frame without catching, without being held by the latch or the floor. A door that needs a push to close is a fail on the closer line. A wedged door is a fail before the test starts, and a note for the residents' information.
The record
Door, date, each line's result, the defects with a photograph, who checked. Recorded against the door so the last four checks are visible together, because a closer that is slowly failing shows as a pattern and not as a fail. DoorsetBook Pro keeps that record and raises the repair on the repairs log.
Questions people ask about fire door check
How long does a fire door check take?
Minutes per door when the items are walked in order with a checklist. The maintenance plan on this site sizes the round from the door count.
What if a door fails?
Record the defect, raise the repair, and where the door protects an escape route treat it as urgent. The repairs log on this site is the record.
Is the checklist free?
Yes, without an account. Keeping the completed checks is the paid product.