Fire door inspection in Bracknell
A new town, with flats of different ages and doors to match.
Get a priceBracknell was designated a new town in 1949 and grew fast from there.
That gives it a particular mix. Houses and flats built in the decades after the war, a town centre that has been rebuilt more than once, and newer blocks added around it.
Each of those eras left its own kind of door.
Flats and maisonettes from the early years
Older flats and maisonettes were built before fire doors were what they are now. The doors might be solid timber, hardboard on a frame, or something that has been replaced several times since.
The ones that have been replaced are the interesting ones. A tenant, a housing officer or a landlord has changed it over the years, and nobody kept the paperwork.
We check each door for a label or plug. If we cannot find proof of what it is, we describe it. Thickness, construction, what the frame is made of.
Blocks of the last few years
Newer blocks bring their own problems. The doors have labels, but gaps are off or cables run through frames.
Where a building is over 11 metres, the 2022 regulations apply. That means a quarterly check of communal doors and a yearly check of flat doors, with best endeavours to get in.
Offices
Bracknell also has a lot of office space. The common faults are propped stair doors, plant room doors with cables through them, and signs missing after a refit.
A multi-tenant office building has landlord and tenant areas, and the report can be arranged to show which doors belong to whom.
What a flat door tells you
On a maisonette stair you can often read the history from the door itself. A bright new closer on a door with old paint. Four screw holes where the last one was. A lock in one colour and a handle in another.
Each of those is a repair by someone, at some point. We photograph them, because they help whoever reads the report decide whether to mend the door or change it.
How we work
Each door gets a reference. Gauge at the top, down both sides and at the bottom. Hinges and screws. Seals. Closer. Glass. Signs.
Photos of everything that is wrong. A report that puts the faults in order of urgency.
For a block of 30 flats, we normally plan a day. We will say more once we know about access.
Fire authority and council
Bracknell is in the area of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The local authority is Bracknell Forest Council.
Getting here
We are based in Luton, a bit over an hour away. We do not have a Bracknell office.
If you are a managing agent with several blocks, say so. A day with five blocks costs less per door than five separate trips.
Questions we get asked
Are the old flat doors a problem?
Some are, and some are fine. We check the door in front of us and say what it is.
Can you inspect a whole estate?
Yes. We will plan it in stages with your agent.
Send us the postcode and a rough door count and we will come back with a price the same day.
Get a price