Finding faults during a fire door inspection can feel like another task added to an already long maintenance list. For Responsible Persons, it’s important to address these faults to ensure your fire doors are repaired to the latest standards to maintain compliance with legal requirements.
The good news is that a failed fire door doesn’t always need to be replaced. In many cases, issues can be corrected with fire door remedial works, helping to ensure the doors are capable of slowing the spread of fire, smoke, and toxic gases. This might include adjusting how the door closes, replacing damaged seals, correcting gaps or dealing with unsuitable ironmongery.
At MD Fire Doors, remedial works are a key part of how we support clients after an inspection. We focus on helping building owners, facilities managers, and maintenance teams properly address faults, restore compliance, and keep their buildings safer for the people who use them.
What are Fire Door Remedial Works?
Fire door remedial works are the repairs, adjustments, or corrections carried out after faults are identified during an inspection. The aim is to ensure that the full fire door assembly is compliant and protects both buildings and occupants in the event of a fire. The level of work required can differ depending on what’s listed in the fire door report.
It’s important that any remedial work is suitable for the door and the fault identified. Fire doors are designed and tested as complete assemblies, so repairs must be performed carefully with the right materials and components to meet legal obligations. This helps avoid further issues and gives building managers a clear record of the work completed.
Remedial Works After a Fire Door Inspection
The most effective fire door remedial works begin with a professional inspection. Without a clear inspection report, it can be difficult to know which faults need attention, how much work may be required and which repairs should be prioritised first.
A proper fire door report will outline the condition of each door, any defects identified, and what actions are recommended. This makes it much easier to plan repairs, manage budgets and avoid spending money on work that doesn’t fully resolve the problem.
Once the report has been completed, remedial works can be planned more effectively. Some issues might need urgent attention, while others can be scheduled as part of wider maintenance work. This is especially useful in busy buildings where access, disruption and timing all need to be considered. For larger buildings, estates or sites with multiple fire doors, this approach can help facilities teams keep control of the work.
How Delayed Repairs Can Affect Fire Door Compliance
It can be tempting to put off fire door repairs, especially in a busy building where access is difficult or when other maintenance issues feel more urgent. Schools have term times to work around, offices need to remain operational, and blocks of flats have residents using communal areas throughout the day. However, delaying remedial works can create a bigger compliance issue. Promptly arranging repairs helps you:
- Deal with faults before they become worse
- Maintain compliance
- Reduce avoidable risk
- Keep escape routes protected
- Avoid unnecessary replacements
Small fire door defects can quickly become more serious if they are left unresolved. A damaged seal or a door that doesn’t latch properly might seem manageable at first, but these faults can affect how the door performs in an emergency. Once an issue has been identified, it should be recorded, assessed and addressed within a sensible timeframe.
This doesn’t mean every repair needs to happen immediately, but there should be a clear plan in place. By combining regular inspections, basic checks, and timely remedial works, building managers can better control compliance and reduce the risk of faults being overlooked.
Common Fire Door Faults that Can Usually Be Repaired
Every door needs to be assessed individually, but several common faults can be corrected through professional remedial work. The right solution will always depend on the condition of the door, the type of defect and what is required to maintain compliance.
- Damaged or missing intumescent strips and smoke seals – These components are key for passive fire protection. If they are damaged, loose, painted over or missing, they may need to be replaced with suitable alternatives.
- Incorrect gaps around the door – If the gaps are too large, the door might not effectively prevent the spread of fire and smoke. If they’re too tight, the door may drag, stick or fail to close properly. In some cases, simple adjustments can be made.
- Faulty or poorly adjusted door closer – A fire door should close securely into the frame and latch where required. If the closer is faulty, badly adjusted or unsuitable, the door might not operate as it should. Sometimes, replacement ironmongery is required.
- Damage from everyday use – Chipped edges, loose glazing beads, damaged frames, worn signage or unapproved alterations can all affect compliance. The right remedial work depends on the extent of the damage and the specification of the door.
When a Fire Door Might Not Be Suitable for Repair
While many fire door faults can be corrected through remedial works, there are times when repair isn’t the right option. This might be the case if the door is badly damaged, has been incorrectly altered, or there are concerns about its ability to perform safely as a fire door.
For example, a door might not be suitable for repair if the leaf or frame has been severely damaged or modified in a way that compromises its integrity. In these cases, we will explain the issue clearly and recommend a replacement door to ensure compliance.
Our focus is always on practical, fire door maintenance and remedial work wherever possible. We don’t carry out large contracted installation projects, but if a replacement is genuinely needed to resolve a fire door fault, we will be happy to help.
Why Fire Door Repairs Need the Right Knowledge
Fire doors aren’t standard internal doors. They are part of a building’s passive fire protection system, an essential requirement for commercial buildings. However, they only work properly if they are specified, manufactured, installed and maintained correctly.
When it comes to remedial works, small details can make a big difference. Using the wrong type of seal, fitting unsuitable hinges, using incorrect screws or making unapproved changes to the door can all affect how the full door assembly works. This is why remedial works should be based on the specific fault, the condition of the door and the correct fire door components.
For facilities companies and maintenance teams, this can be difficult to manage without specialist knowledge. Internal teams might be very experienced in general building maintenance, but fire doors need a more specific approach. Our role at MD Fire Doors is to identify what needs attention, recommend the best remedial action and support a practical repair process, so compliance isn’t left to guesswork.
Keeping Records of Fire Door Repairs
Good record-keeping is a major part of fire risk assessments and maintaining compliance. If a fault is found with your fire doors, there should be a clear record of what it was, what action was recommended, what work was carried out and when it was completed.
This is useful for audits, insurance queries, internal compliance reviews and future inspections. It also helps maintenance teams understand the history of each door. If the same door keeps failing, there may be a bigger issue that needs to be addressed.
We always encourage clients to keep fire door records up to date as part of everyday building management. Inspection reports, completed remedial works and training records all help show that fire door safety is being managed properly. They also make it easier to track recurring issues, plan future maintenance and show what action has been taken if faults are identified.
Speak To MD Fire Doors About Fire Door Remedial Works
If your latest inspection has identified faults or you’re concerned that fire doors in your building might no longer be compliant, remedial works can be incredibly useful. At MD Fire Doors, we support Responsible Persons with professional inspections, practical remedial works, clear reporting and compliance training. Our focus is on helping you understand what needs attention and how to deal with it properly.
We work with a range of buildings, including education settings, blocks of flats, student accommodation, medical premises and office blocks. To discuss your fire door remedial works or arrange an inspection, contact our team at MD Fire Doors today.