If you are responsible for fire safety and fire door provision within your building, it’s easy to breathe a sigh of relief when a fire door survey is complete and new fire doors are installed. However, as with any form of safety equipment, fire doors will suffer from wear and tear, become damaged, or simply become outdated over time. Understanding when you need replacement fire doors is crucial for maintaining the safety and compliance of a building and meeting your fire door maintenance requirements, yet it’s also a duty that many Responsible Persons overlook.

If a standard door came away from its hinges, you quite literally wouldn’t leave it hanging. Your attitude to fire doors should be no different and failure to replace your doors when necessary can pose significant risk to the building’s occupants and contents. While there are no set timelines for the life of a door, there are specific things you can look out for and set circumstances in which it is paramount that you explore getting replacement fire doors. We have outlined these in this straightforward guide, alongside advice concerning your obligations and next steps.

Signs You Need Replacement Fire Doors

The amount of time any single fire door will last depends largely on the level of wear and tear it is exposed to and this is why a regular maintenance schedule is so important. Doors located in heavy-use areas such as hospital or hotel corridors may be particularly susceptible to wear, tear and damage which may mean that they need to be replaced more frequently than anticipated. However, doors even in low-use areas can be subject to natural deterioration over time and therefore it can be tricky to know exactly when fire door replacement should be on your mind.

If you are struggling to understand whether you might need replacement fire doors, look out for the following signs:

Visible Damage & Wear

Though wear and tear are not always visible to the untrained eye, any physical signs of damage or excess use should be easy to spot and are surefire signs that it is time to replace your fire doors. Damaged fire doors may be unable to work as they should in the event of a fire, so watch out for cracks, warping or splintering on the door itself. Additionally, check for any damage to any glazed elements, seals, hardware and the door frame. It can be harder to spot problems with these areas but they are just as critical when it comes to the door’s overall performance.

Misalignment

A fire door only operates in the fully closed position and as such it must fit into its frame correctly and close fully to function effectively. A certified fire door installer should always fit the door with suitable gaps (typically around 3mm) to prevent the passage of fire and smoke. However, even when fitted correctly, doors can become misaligned over time and this will compromise their performance in the event of a fire. To spot misalignment, watch for issues with closing the door as well as any gaps that might’ve opened up.

Changes In Fire Safety Legislation

Specific legislation and building regulations govern rules related to fire doors and fire door maintenance. Naturally, these standards evolve over time and changes to fire safety legislation may affect the compliance of your current fire doors. You are therefore obliged to stay up to date with regulatory changes and arrange for fire door replacement if necessary. Seek professional advice if you are not sure how rules affect your building.

The Importance Of A Fire Door Survey

Being able to spot signs of wear and tear is crucial if you are responsible for building safety. However, you are not expected to go it alone and working alongside relevant professionals is typically the best way to ensure that your fire doors are in an appropriate condition.

A comprehensive fire door survey carried out by a certified inspector is a guaranteed way to find out whether you need replacement fire doors. As part of the survey, the inspector should examine all of the areas of the door and frame which could be subject to damage and they will be able to inform you which doors need to be replaced in their subsequent fire door survey report. 

These kinds of inspections of your fire doors should be completed on a regular basis anyway, so as the Responsible Person there really is no excuse for having damaged or insufficient fire doors within your building. A fire door survey will also identify any maintenance issues and give you the opportunity to carry out fire door maintenance, limiting the degree to which wear and tear can affect door performance and therefore reducing the frequency at which you may need replacement fire doors. 

How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Fire Door?

When you and/or a qualified professional identify the need to replace a fire door, your next step will be to arrange the installation of the replacement, which naturally incurs a cost. This is incredibly skilled work, requiring a detailed knowledge of installation best practices and the specific needs of the door in question as defined by the manufacturer. 

For over a decade, WGP Maintenance has been assessing the needs of fire doors within the buildings of our clients. Our experience in the remediation, installation and maintenance of fire doors means our highly experienced team can complete your fire door survey and will quickly be able to identify whether the door(s) in question can be repaired or whether a complete replacement is required. 

We are usually able to provide information regarding the cost of replacement fire doors within the same fire door survey report, giving you full transparency at all times. The costs will always be specific to your unique requirements, but will typically vary depending on the type, rating, finish and number of replacement fire doors you need.

To discuss your replacement fire door requirements with us or find out more about how our BM trada certified team can help you understand your fire door maintenance needs, do not hesitate to get in touch today.