Most fire door work in an established town is not installation, it is establishing what is already there. A building that has changed hands, been refurbished several times and lost its handover information holds doors of unknown rating, and the survey that sorts them out is the first piece of work rather than an optional extra.
What the survey establishes
Door by door: the location against a reference that exists on the door itself, any certification marking, the presence and condition of seals, gaps at head, jambs and threshold, whether it closes and latches, the hardware and whether it is compatible, glazing, and the frame fixing where it can be seen. Where the rating cannot be established, the honest entry is unknown, and unknown is a finding rather than a blank.
Upgrade or replace
Historic and listed buildings often hold original doors that are worth keeping, and upgrade systems exist that improve an existing door's performance with test evidence behind them. They are engineered assemblies, not a strip and a coat of paint, and they need a specialist. Where a door has no heritage value and no certification, a certified replacement doorset is usually cheaper than establishing the truth about what is there.
Listed building consent
Replacing or altering doors in a listed building can need consent, and fire safety is a material consideration rather than an override. The route that usually works is an upgrade that retains the original door with documented evidence, agreed with the conservation officer before the work rather than after.
The record
A schedule of every door with its reference, what was found, what was done and what remains, updated at each check. That schedule is what makes the next survey an update rather than a fresh start, and it is what a responsible person produces when asked how they know the doors are adequate.
Questions people ask about fire doors guildford
Who enforces fire safety in Guildford?
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, as the fire and rescue authority for the county.
Can an original door be kept in a listed building?
Often yes, through a documented upgrade with test evidence. It needs a specialist and it needs agreeing with the conservation officer.
How often should doors be checked afterwards?
The risk assessment sets the frequency for most premises. Residential buildings above the height thresholds have stated frequencies in regulation.