Fire Door and Damper Inspections for Delaware County Buildings
Fire doors and dampers hold a fire back long enough for people to get out. Tri-State Fire Protection Services inspects and repairs fire doors and fire and smoke dampers for buildings across Delaware County, PA, and gives you the written records the fire marshal asks for. We are a local team based in Folsom.
FIRE DOOR & DAMPER INSPECTIONS
HOLD THE LINE
Is That Fire Door Propped Open Right Now?
Walk through almost any building and you will find one. A stairwell door held open with a rubber wedge. A door that does not quite latch. A closer someone took off because the door was too heavy. It seems harmless until there is a fire.
A fire door only works if it closes and latches on its own.
Fire doors and dampers are part of your building's fire barriers. These are the walls, doors, and openings built to keep fire and smoke in one area for a set amount of time. That time is what lets people get down the stairs and out of the building.
A fire door that will not latch, or a damper stuck open inside a duct, leaves a gap in that barrier. Smoke can spread through the building much faster than anyone expects. That is why fire code calls for a fire door inspection every year, and for fire dampers to be tested on a regular schedule.
Tri-State Fire Protection Services inspects fire doors and dampers in apartment buildings, schools, offices, medical buildings, and warehouses across Delaware County. Our founder is a firefighter, and he has seen firsthand how fast smoke moves through an open door.
OUR SERVICES
Questions? Talk to Our Team
Call our Folsom office or request service online.
WHAT WE DO
Fire Door Inspection, Damper Testing, and Repair
From stairwell doors to the dampers hidden inside your ductwork, one team checks and fixes every opening in your fire barriers. Here is what we handle.
Annual Fire Door Inspections
Fire code calls for every fire door to be inspected once a year. We check each door, frame, and piece of hardware, and log the results door by door.
Fire Door Repairs
Door will not latch? Closer leaking oil? Gap too wide at the bottom? We fix closers, latches, hinges, and seals so the door passes the next inspection.
Fire Damper Inspections
Fire dampers sit inside your ductwork and close when they get hot. We open the access panels, check each damper, and make sure it can close all the way.
Smoke Damper Testing
Smoke dampers close when your fire alarm goes off. We test them with your alarm system to make sure they shut when they should.
Damper Repairs
A damper that is stuck, rusted, or missing its link can't do its job. We repair it and test it again until it closes the way it should.
Written Reports
You get a report that lists every door and damper, what passed, and what was fixed. It is ready for the fire marshal or your insurance company.
Fire Doors
vs. Dampers
Fire doors are the heavy doors you can see in stairwells, hallways, and utility rooms. They are built to hold back fire for a set time, often 45, 60, or 90 minutes, as long as they close and latch. Dampers are metal blades inside your air ducts. When a duct passes through a fire wall, the damper closes to keep fire or smoke from traveling through the ducts to the rest of the building.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What Happens During a Fire Door Inspection
We check every fire door in your building, one at a time. Here is what our tech looks at on each one.
We check the label.
Every fire door and frame has a label that shows its fire rating. If the label is painted over or missing, the door can't be verified.
We look at the door and frame.
We check for holes, cracks, dents, and any changes, like a new lock or a pet door, that were not made to code.
We check the gaps.
The space around the edges and under the door has to stay within code limits, or smoke can slip through.
We check the hinges, closer, and latch.
The door has to swing shut on its own and latch every time, from any open position.
We check the seals.
Many fire doors have seals or strips around the edges that swell in heat. We make sure they are in place and not damaged.
We write it up door by door.
You get a list of every door, what passed, and what needs to be fixed, with a quote for any repairs.
The rules behind all of this come from NFPA 80 and NFPA 105, the national standards for fire doors, smoke doors, and dampers. We keep up with the standards so you do not have to.
Fire doors need an inspection every year. Fire and smoke dampers need to be tested one year after they are installed, then every four years after that. In hospitals, damper testing is every six years.
DON'T WAIT
Signs Your Fire Doors Need Attention
Most fire door problems are easy to spot once you know what to look for. Walk your stairwells and hallways and check for these.
Any one of these is a good reason to call. Fire door problems are some of the most common items fire marshals write up, and most of them are quick fixes.
A fire door is propped open with a wedge, a chair, or a hook.
The door does not close all the way or latch on its own.
The closer is missing, leaking oil, or slams the door.
The label on the door or frame is painted over or missing.
There are holes from old locks, signs, or hardware.
The gap under the door is wide enough to see light.
Someone added a lock, a vent, or glass that was not there before.
You can't find a record of your last inspection.
WHERE WE WORK
Fire Door Inspection in Delaware County, PA
Our home base is 228 Ridley Avenue in Folsom, so most Delco buildings are a short drive away. That makes it easy to schedule a full walk-through, even in a large building with dozens of doors.
Fire doors and dampers are everywhere in the county's multi-story buildings. That includes the senior living and apartment communities in Media and Broomall, the college buildings around Swarthmore and Villanova, and the schools and medical offices from Upper Darby to Glen Mills.
We serve all of Delaware County including:
Folsom
Prospect Park
Swarthmore
Havertown
Newtown Square
Aston
Ridley Township
Springfield
Upper Darby
Lansdowne
Chester
Glen Mills
Ridley Park
Media
Drexel Hill
Broomall
Brookhaven
Middletown
Located outside of Delco? We also provide fire door and damper inspections throughout Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Chester County, and Montgomery County, as well as New Jersey and Delaware.
WHY TRI-STATE
Why Delco Facility Managers Call
Tri-State Fire Protection Services
Facility managers across Delaware County choose Tri-State Fire Protection Services for our firefighter's eye, our door-by-door records, and our one-stop service. Here is what sets our team apart.
Started by a
Firefighter
Kevin Kerns founded Tri-State in 2019 after years as a firefighter, EMT, and 911 dispatcher. He knows what a propped-open door does to a smoke-filled stairwell.
Door-by-Door
Records
Every door and damper gets its own line in your report, so you know exactly which ones passed and which ones need work.
Inspect It and
Fix It
We check the doors you can see and the dampers you can't, then fix what fails. One company handles the whole job.
One Call for
Every System
Fire doors, fire alarms, sprinklers, exit lights, and extinguishers. One team can put them all on one schedule.
What Our Customers Say
COMMON QUESTIONS
Fire Door and Damper Questions We Get Asked Most
These are the questions building owners and property managers ask us most.
Have additional questions? Contact Tri-State Fire Protection Services today to speak with our team.
How often do fire doors need to be inspected?
Once a year. Every fire door in the building needs to be checked and the results written down. Fire and smoke dampers are on a different schedule: one year after they are put in, then every four years, or every six years in hospitals.
Who should I call for fire door inspection near me in Delco?
Pick a company that checks every door one by one and gives you a written list of what passed and what failed. Ask if they inspect dampers too, so you are not hiring two companies. Tri-State Fire Protection Services is based in Folsom and was founded by a firefighter. Call us at (610) 707-8180 and see if we are a good fit.
How do I know if a door is a fire door?
Look for a small metal or printed label on the edge of the door, usually on the hinge side, and another on the frame. It lists the fire rating, like 20, 45, 60, or 90 minutes. Doors to stairwells, utility rooms, and between parts of a building are often fire doors.
Can I prop open a fire door?
Not with a wedge, a chair, or a hook. If a fire door needs to stay open during the day, it can be fitted with a hold-open device that is tied to your fire alarm. When the alarm goes off, the device lets go and the door swings shut.
What fails a fire door inspection most often?
Doors that do not close and latch on their own are the most common problem. Painted-over labels, extra holes from old hardware, and gaps that are too wide under the door are close behind.
What is a fire damper?
A fire damper is a metal blade inside an air duct. When the duct passes through a fire wall, the damper is there to close in a fire and keep flames from spreading through the ducts. Most close when a small metal link melts from the heat.
How much does a fire door inspection cost?
Every fire door and damper job is quoted. The price depends on how many doors and dampers your building has, how easy the dampers are to reach, and what repairs are needed. Tell us roughly how many you have, and we will give you a quote before we start.
Thank you for contacting us.
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
We got it.
GET STARTED
Schedule Your Fire Door Inspection Today
Call us or fill out the form to get started. Every job is quoted, so tell us roughly how many fire doors and dampers your building has. Our team will reach out with a quote and a date for your walk-through.