Project Overview
Dickson Consulting carried out a non-invasive fire door inspection for a hotel in Aberystwyth, Wales. The inspection was undertaken to help the client understand the condition of fire doors across the property and identify remedial actions required to support ongoing fire safety compliance.
The project involved inspection of back-of-house staff doors, communal and corridor fire doors, circulation doors, riser doors, plant room doors, storage doors, linen room doors and a sample of hotel bedroom doors.
This case study has been anonymised to protect the client and site identity while still showing the type of inspection work completed and the value of detailed fire door reporting for hotel operators and facilities teams.
Building Type
The hotel consisted of two distinct building sections: an original older building to the front and a newer extension to the rear. The original building extended from basement level to second floor, with a loft area used for plant and ducts. The newer rear extension extended from basement level to third floor.
The basement area included reception, kitchen, restaurant and back-of-house spaces, with upper floors containing bedrooms and linen rooms. The building also included multiple stairwells, including escape stairwells and a main stairwell serving different parts of the property.
Fire Door Inspection Scope
The fire door survey included a 100% inspection of back-of-house, staff, communal and corridor fire doors, together with a minimum 20% sample of bedroom doors across each level and across both the original building and newer extension.
A total of 77 doors were inspected during the fire door survey.
- Hotel bedroom fire doors
- Communal corridor fire doors
- Back-of-house staff doors
- Reception and restaurant area doors
- Kitchen and storage doors
- Linen room doors
- Riser cupboard doors
- Plant room and loft access doors
- Stairwell and escape route doors
- Door leaves, frames, hinges, closers, locks, seals, signage and glazing
Inspection Methodology
The inspection was carried out as a non-invasive visual fire door survey. Each doorset was assessed for key fire door components and evidence of defects that may affect performance.
The inspection considered door leaf condition, door frame condition, fire stopping evidence, hinge condition, closer function, latching, glazing, lock condition, intumescent seals, smoke seals, threshold gaps, signage and certification evidence where available.
Fire Door Findings
The report identified that the hotel contained different door specifications due to the property having both an original older section and a newer extension. Premdor Barnsley doors were recorded to hotel rooms and linen rooms within the older part of the building, while Vicaima CF218 30-minute fire doors were recorded to hotel rooms and linen rooms within the newer extension.
The report noted that the majority of door blanks and frames were generally in relatively good condition, with some minor damage around leading edges, likely caused by trolley use. The main recurring issue across the building was excessive gaps between the doors and frames and excessive threshold gaps.
Other issues were present to a smaller percentage of doors, including missing screws from hinges, damaged or missing seals, minor damage to door leaves, damaged threshold seals, missing or incomplete signage, no evidence of fire stopping to some frames, and isolated issues with glazing certification evidence.
Typical Defects Identified
- Excessive leaf-to-frame gaps
- Excessive threshold gaps
- Smoke seals missing, damaged or mixed
- Drop-down threshold seals not functioning correctly
- Door leaves not latching without assistance
- Closers requiring adjustment
- Missing screws from hinges
- Non-standard or missing hinge screws
- Minor damage to door leaves and leading edges
- Damage to frames, lock keeps and architraves
- No evidence of fire stopping between some frames and walls
- Missing or incomplete fire door signage
- Unclear certification evidence to some doors or glazed elements
Examples of Door Types Inspected
The fire door inspection covered a broad range of doors across the hotel. This included bedroom doors, circulation doors, reception doors, restaurant doors, kitchen doors, back-of-house doors, riser cupboards, plant rooms, loft access doors and staff areas.
Several bedroom doors had excessive threshold gaps and frame gaps. Some doors had missing or damaged smoke seals, while selected doors required closer adjustment to ensure correct latching. In back-of-house and service areas, the report identified more varied conditions due to higher use, trolley movement and different door specifications.
Recommendations
The recommendations focused on improving the performance of fire doors by correcting gaps, repairing damage, replacing missing or damaged seals, adjusting threshold strips and ensuring doors close and latch correctly.
The report recommended that all doors be re-hung and, where necessary, re-lipped to achieve compliant gaps between doors, frames and thresholds. It also recommended repairs to minor door leaf and frame damage, replacement of missing or damaged seals, rectification of hinge screw issues and further investigation into fire stopping between door frames and walls.
An invasive frame investigation was recommended to establish the level of fire stopping between door frames and walls, particularly because some riser cupboards showed no visible fire stopping. A sample of architraves should be removed to confirm the condition and suitability of the fire stopping and frame construction.
Why This Matters for Hotels in Wales
Hotels contain sleeping accommodation, staff areas, kitchens, public areas, protected corridors, risers and stairwells. Fire doors are essential for protecting escape routes and limiting the spread of smoke and fire.
Where doors have excessive gaps, damaged seals, poor threshold performance or poor latching, the fire and smoke resistance of the doorset can be compromised. Regular inspection helps hotel operators identify defects, prioritise remedial works and maintain safer buildings for guests, staff and visitors.
UK-Wide Fire Door Inspection Services
Dickson Consulting provides fire door inspections for hotels, commercial properties, student accommodation, residential blocks and multi-occupancy buildings across Wales, England, Scotland and the wider UK.
Although based in South East England, our team supports clients nationally, including hotel operators and property managers in Wales, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Swansea and surrounding areas.
Related Services
- Fire Door Inspections
- Fire Compartmentation Surveys
- Fire Risk Assessments
- Contact Dickson Consulting
Need a Hotel Fire Door Inspection in Wales?
If you manage a hotel, commercial building, student accommodation site or residential property in Wales, Dickson Consulting can provide independent fire door inspections to support compliance, remedial planning and ongoing fire safety management.
Contact us to discuss a hotel fire door inspection in Wales.