Fire door labels are the first thing a check looks for and the most misunderstood. The label, plug or marking on the top edge of the leaf identifies the door and points to its certification: it is evidence that the leaf was manufactured as a fire door. It does not prove the frame, seals and hardware are the certified set, that the door was installed as tested, or that it still works. The fire door certification record on this site holds what the label points to, with the components, so the record outlasts the label.
What a label says
The manufacturer or scheme, a reference that identifies the doorset or the certificate, and sometimes the rating claimed. Reading the reference into the certification record is how a label becomes evidence: the record can be checked against the scheme; a label alone can only be looked at.
What it does not prove
That the frame is the certified frame, that the seals are the certified seals, that the hinges and closer are the ones tested, or that the installation followed the instructions. A certified leaf in an uncertified doorset is the usual survey finding. The installation record on this site is the other half.
When the label is painted over or missing
Older doors, repainted doors and doors that came with the building often have no readable label. The door is then assessed as found by a survey, and the survey is the door's evidence in the record. The survey cost calculator on this site prices that per door.
Labels and the check
The fact sheet's check does not ask for the label; it asks about glazing, gaps, seals, hinges, the closer, the closing and damage. The label is read once into the record; the check is repeated on the frequency. DoorsetBook Pro keeps the certification record per door beside the checks.
Questions people ask about fire door labels
Can I add a label to an unlabelled door?
A label is the manufacturer's or scheme's; adding one does not make a door certified. The survey and the record are the evidence for an unlabelled door.
Where is the label?
Usually the top edge of the leaf, sometimes the hinge edge. Read it with the door open.
Is the certification record free?
Yes, without an account. Keeping it per door with the checks is the paid product.