A fire door either holds for thirty minutes or it doesn’t. It is tested as a complete assembly — leaf, frame, seals, hinges, closer — and changing one part can void the lot. Gemini AMPM surveys, installs and maintains third-party certificated fire doorsets, from a single replacement leaf to quarterly inspection programmes across a whole residential portfolio.
Since January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have required quarterly checks of fire doors in the common parts of residential buildings over 11 metres, and annual checks of flat entrance doors. The duty sits with the responsible person. So does the liability. A clipboard walk-past does not discharge it — the checks need method, records and someone who knows what a failed door looks like.
Our surveyors inspect every doorset against its certification. Gaps measured. Seals, hinges and closers tested. Glazing, signage and thresholds checked. Every defect is photographed, graded and priced, so you get a remedial schedule you can budget against rather than a spreadsheet of vague failures. Records are digital and date-stamped — evidence you can hand to the fire and rescue service or your insurer without flinching. Book a survey and we will take it from there.
Most fire doors fail at installation, not manufacture. Oversized gaps, missing intumescent seals, foam where packers should be — defects built in on day one. That is why we install to BS 8214, the code of practice for timber fire door assemblies, and why we supply third-party certificated doorsets: doors tested as a complete assembly, from an audited factory, with a traceable label under the hinge.
Not every failed door needs replacing, either. Seals, closers, hinges and gaps can usually be brought back within tolerance for a fraction of the cost of a new leaf, and our surveys tell you which is which before anyone quotes. Gemini AMPM is FIRAS approved for passive fire installation — third-party audited, not self-declared — alongside NSI Gold and CHAS Elite. See our accreditations for the full picture.
In residential buildings over 11 metres, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 set the floor: quarterly checks of fire doors in common parts and annual checks of flat entrance doors, using best endeavours to gain access. In other premises the frequency comes from your fire risk assessment, but six-monthly inspection is widely recommended for doors in regular use. High-traffic doors in schools and hospitals often justify more. The one wrong answer is waiting until something visibly hangs off.
Often repaired. Worn seals, failed closers, loose hinges and slightly oversized gaps can usually be corrected in situ, restoring the door to its certificated condition at a fraction of replacement cost. Replacement is the honest answer when the leaf or frame is damaged, the door has been modified beyond its test evidence, or there is no evidence it was ever a fire door at all. Our surveys grade each doorset so you only pay for new where new is needed.
A doorset tested and certificated as a complete assembly — leaf, frame, seals, glazing and hardware together — by an independent body that also audits the factory making it. That matters because a fire door only performs as the combination that was tested. Third-party certification gives you traceability: a label or plug on the door links it to real test evidence. For a responsible person, it is the difference between proof and a supplier’s promise.
A named engineer, not a call centre, comes back within 24 hours. Tell us the building and what you’re dealing with, and we’ll scope it properly.