A Battersea residential block that developed major fire door non-compliance within a few years of construction. Fire Doors Pro surveyed and remediated 275 flat entrance and communal fire doors, returning the building to a certified, documented compliant standard.
A multi-storey residential block in Battersea, built within the last several years, was found to have major fire door non-compliance across its flat entrance and communal doors. Despite the building's age, latent defects from the original installation had left the fire doors unable to perform as designed.
| Project Details | |
|---|---|
| Property type | Residential block, multiple storeys, leasehold flats |
| Location | Battersea, SW London (SW11) |
| Doors remediated | 275, flat entrance and communal fire doors |
| Building age | Constructed within the last several years |
| Issue | Major fire door non-compliance developed since construction |
| Compliance driver | Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 |
Why new buildings fail: A building being new is no guarantee its fire doors are compliant. Defects introduced at construction, wrong components, poor fitting, oversized gaps or seals left off, are extremely common and often go undetected until an independent inspection. On a block of this size those defects multiply across hundreds of doors.
Latent, not visible: Most of these defects were not obvious to residents or managing agents on a routine walk-through. It took a close-range, component-by-component survey by FDIS-approved contracted inspectors to identify the full scale of the non-compliance.
Across the 275 doors, the same construction-stage defects recurred, the pattern we see repeatedly in blocks built in the last decade.
Doors and frames fitted incorrectly at construction, including packers, fixings and hinge positions that did not match the certified specification, undermining the door's fire performance from day one.
Non-fire-rated or mismatched hinges, closers, locks and glazing installed during construction or later maintenance, breaking the certified door set and its test evidence.
Gaps around the leaf outside tolerance, worsened by building settlement in the years since construction, allowing the potential passage of smoke and fire.
Intumescent and smoke seals omitted, damaged or painted over, and self-closers that failed to close doors fully into the frame, a critical failure on communal escape routes.
Four takeaways for anyone responsible for a residential block, whether newly built or long established.
A recently built block developed major fire door non-compliance within a few years. Age is no substitute for inspection: even new buildings need their fire doors independently checked.
Most of the failures traced back to how the doors were fitted at construction. Build sign-off does not guarantee certified fire door performance, and defects can be widespread.
Remediating 275 doors in an occupied block calls for a phased, risk-prioritised programme with clear resident and leaseholder communication, delivered with minimal disruption.
A close-range, component-by-component survey by FDIS-approved contracted inspectors revealed defects that were invisible on a routine walk-through and absent from the building's handover records.
All 275 fire doors surveyed component-by-component by FDIS-approved contracted inspectors
Every defect remediated to certified standard, from seals and closers to gaps and ironmongery
Each remediated door re-certified on completion
A full digital report with photographic evidence for every door, ready for audit
A phased programme delivered around residents with minimal disruption
Freeholders, managing agents and residents management companies carry the duty to evidence fire door compliance
Proactive inspection and remediation is far less disruptive than reacting to an enforcement notice
We deliver block-wide and portfolio remedial programmes across London, Kent and the South East
Every project produces documentation formatted to evidence compliance with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Common questions on fire door remedial works in residential and leasehold blocks.
Yes. Fire door defects are common in recently built blocks, often from the original installation: incorrect components, poor fitting, oversized gaps or seals omitted at build. These latent defects can leave a block seriously non-compliant within a few years, which is why independent inspection matters even for new buildings.
As a phased programme. We survey every door, prioritise by risk, and schedule remedial works around residents with clear communication to the managing agent and leaseholders, so the building is brought to compliance with minimal disruption.
The responsible person, usually the freeholder, managing agent or residents management company, holds the duty under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. They must ensure communal and flat entrance fire doors are inspected, maintained and remediated, and must be able to evidence compliance.