Capitol Sentinel performs annual fire door inspections for commercial buildings. We look at each swinging fire door as a complete assembly: the labels, the door and frame, the glazing, the hardware, the clearances and the way the door closes and latches. NFPA 80 calls for each inspection to be recorded in writing, signed by the inspector and kept for the authority having jurisdiction.
The work is for facility managers at schools, hospitals and clinics, offices and multifamily buildings across Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. We also install, repair and adjust the hardware these doors depend on, so when a door fails, we can repair it and check it again.
What an annual fire door inspection is
NFPA 80, the Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, requires fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least once a year. It also calls for testing when an assembly is first installed and after maintenance work that affects how it operates.
The inspection covers the whole opening, not just the closer. A visual check of both the door and the frame comes first, then an operational test. A fire door has to close from the full open position and latch on its own every time.
NFPA 80 requires a written record of each inspection, signed by the inspector and kept for review by the authority having jurisdiction. Records of periodic inspections are kept for at least three years.
Who requires it
NFPA 80 sets the inspection and testing requirement for fire door assemblies.
NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, requires fire door assemblies to comply with NFPA 80. In many occupancies, including assembly, educational, day-care, apartment, business and mercantile buildings, it also calls for annual inspection of certain egress doors: doors with panic or fire exit hardware, doors in exit stairs and enclosures, electrically controlled egress doors, and doors with special locking such as delayed egress. Which of these apply depends on the occupancy and the edition your jurisdiction enforces.
In Washington, DC, the District enforces the DC Construction Codes, which include the DC Fire Code, based on the International Fire Code with DC amendments. It requires fire door assemblies to be maintained in operating condition in accordance with NFPA 80. Fire doors may not be blocked, obstructed, made inoperable or modified, and swinging fire doors must close from the full open position and latch automatically.
In Maryland and Virginia, each jurisdiction enforces its own adopted codes.
In every case, the authority having jurisdiction, such as the fire marshal or the code official, has the final say on what applies to your building and whether a door complies. Capitol Sentinel inspects and repairs doors. We do not approve them on behalf of any authority.
What we check on each door
For a swinging fire door with builders hardware, the annual inspection covers these points:
Labels. The door and frame labels are present, clearly visible and legible.
Surfaces. There are no open holes or breaks in the door or the frame.
Parts. Nothing on the door or frame is missing or broken.
Glazing. Vision lights, sidelights and transoms, with their frames and glazing beads, are intact and securely fastened.
Alignment. The door, frame, threshold and hardware are secure and aligned, with no visible damage.
Hardware. The hardware is labeled for use on a fire door.
Field modifications. There are no signs of changes to the assembly. NFPA 80 permits only limited job-site preparation; other modifications need approval from the laboratory that listed the door.
Edges and seals. Meeting edge protection, gasketing and edge seals are present and intact where required.
Signage. Signs cover no more than 5 percent of the door, are attached with adhesive rather than screws or other fasteners, and are not placed on the fire-rated glass.
Clearances. The gap under the door is no more than 3/4 inch on the pull side, or 3/8 inch where the bottom of the door sits more than 38 inches above the floor. Gaps between the door and frame, and between the two leaves of a pair, are within NFPA 80 limits.
Closing and latching. The door closes completely from the full open position, the latch engages and holds the door closed, and no added hardware interferes. NFPA's own checklist recommends repeating this test three times.
Pairs of doors. Where a coordinator is installed, the inactive leaf closes before the active leaf.
Hold-open and power-operated doors. The door becomes self-closing when the hold-open releases on fire alarm or loss of power, or when a power operator loses power or receives the alarm signal.
Buildings we work in
Schools. Stair doors, rated corridor doors and doors with fire exit hardware are used all day, and constant use wears out closers and latches.
Hospitals and clinics. Stair enclosures and rated barriers protect the routes people use to leave and the areas where patients stay. Those doors need to close and latch as designed, every time.
Offices. Exit stair doors, rated doors between tenant spaces, and doors fitted with access control or electrified exit hardware all need to close, latch and release correctly.
Multifamily buildings. Stair doors and corridor doors are the ones most often propped open, and a propped door with a disconnected closer is not doing its job.
When a door fails
NFPA 80 requires repairs to be made, and defects that could interfere with operation to be corrected, without delay.
Repairs use labeled parts or parts from the original manufacturer. Holes left by removed hardware are filled with steel fasteners or the same material as the door or frame. After a repair, the door is tested again to confirm it opens, closes and latches as it should.
Capitol Sentinel can make the repair and then re-check the door. We install, repair and adjust commercial door hardware, including panic bars and fire exit hardware, door closers, strikes, electrified exit hardware and access control.
Panic and fire exit hardware
Fire exit hardware is panic hardware that is also listed for use on fire doors. It has no mechanical dogging, so the latch cannot be held retracted. Electric latch retraction is acceptable only where the latch projects again when the fire alarm activates. A fire door must latch.
We check this hardware as part of every fire door we inspect, and we install, repair and adjust it. For more on this hardware, see panic bars and fire exit hardware.
How to prepare
A little preparation makes the visit go smoothly:
A list of fire doors and where they are, including stairs, rated corridors and mechanical rooms, if you have one.
Previous inspection records and any maintenance notes.
Access to stairs, mechanical and electrical rooms, and other rated enclosures.
The name of the person on site who can approve repairs.
The authority having jurisdiction for your building, if you know it.
If you do not have a current list of fire doors, tell us when you call.
Schedule an inspection
Call (202) 500-3445 to schedule an annual fire door inspection for your building.
The emergency line is answered 24/7. Call it for a door that will not latch, will not lock or will not let people out.
Frequent questions
How often must fire doors be inspected?
NFPA 80 requires fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least annually. It also calls for testing after installation and after maintenance work that affects how a door operates.
Do you perform annual fire door inspections?
Yes. Capitol Sentinel performs annual fire door inspections for commercial buildings in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Call (202) 500-3445 to schedule.
Who decides whether a door passes?
The authority having jurisdiction, such as the fire marshal or the code official. An inspection identifies the condition of each door against NFPA 80; the authority decides what is acceptable for your building.
What records does NFPA 80 call for?
A written record of each inspection, signed by the inspector and kept for review by the authority having jurisdiction. Periodic inspection records are kept for at least three years.
Does NFPA 80 require a specific certification for the inspector?
No. It calls for people with knowledge and understanding of the operating components of the type of door being tested.
Can we move away from an annual cycle?
NFPA 80 allows a performance-based inspection program in place of a fixed annual cycle, but only with the written approval of the authority having jurisdiction. It is generally used by large facilities with well-documented door maintenance programs.
How can I tell whether a door is a fire door?
Look for a label from a testing laboratory, usually on the edge of the door and on the frame. If a label is painted over or missing, that is something to note in its own right.
What are common reasons a fire door fails?
Doors propped or wedged open, disconnected or leaking closers, latches that do not catch, painted-over labels, gaps that are too large, holes from removed hardware, signs screwed into the door, and hardware added without being allowed by the listing.
What happens after a door fails?
NFPA 80 requires the defect to be corrected without delay. We can repair the door with labeled parts or parts from the original manufacturer, then test it again to confirm it closes and latches.
Is your emergency line really answered at night and on weekends?
Yes. The emergency line, (202) 500-3445, is answered 24/7.