Fire Door Drop Testing Details
When you want to protect portions of your building from the spread of potential fire in other parts of your building, you’ll need a fire door. These are especially popular in stairwells, kitchens, boilers, and other rooms where fire may be a risk. To ensure that fire door is operating as it should, at Garage Headquarters we are IDEA certified to perform fire door drop testing in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. During this process, we’ll make sure that your fire door is ready for an emergency and will automatically close when it needs to. Reach out to our team to schedule fire door drop testing by giving us a call or filling out your information in the online contact form on this website.
Why You Need Fire Door Drop Testing
You may not realize how important fire door drop testing is to the safety of your building. Below, we’ve laid out some of the main reasons we recommend getting your fire doors drop tested at least once per year.
Ensure Slower Spread of Fire
If you don’t test your fire doors, you won’t be certain they’ll be able to keep the smoke and fire contained in one section of your property and reduce spread throughout your building.
Reduce Danger in Emergencies
You may think your fire door will protect the occupants, but that won’t be true if it doesn’t close all the way. Fire door drop testing is the best way to ensure your fire door will close like it needs to in the event of an emergency fire.
Stay in Compliance with NFPA 80
This National Fire Protection Association standard requires all fire doors are inspected and tested at least once annually.
Stay in Compliance with Insurance
Your insurance carrier may have its own requirements regarding how often your fire door needs to be drop tested by a certified professional.
Document Your Due Diligence
In the event a fire occurs on your property or a surprise inspection occurs, having proof you underwent regular drop testing will help show you did all you could to maintain the safety of your building.
Schedule Your Drop Test
When you need fire door drop testing in southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island performed in your building, contact the certified members of Garage Headquarters. You can reach us by phone or through our online contact form on this website.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drop Testing
We’ve listed some answers to frequently asked questions regarding fire door drop testing services.
How long does it take to get fire door drop testing?
You should expect your drop testing to take only a matter of minutes. The entire fire inspection may take up to half an hour per door, but drop testing itself is a small portion of that time.
What do I do if my fire door fails the drop test?
Our team will make sure to properly document the failure, and then you’ll need to get your fire door repaired as promptly as possible. You’ll need to follow your local jurisdiction’s requirements for how soon you’ll need to repair your failed fire door.
What might cause a fire door to fail a drop test?
Your hold-open device may not be connected correctly; your door may have undergone normal wear and tear over time; there could be an obstruction like debris or carpeting causing a problem with the closing mechanism.
