Medway · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Borstal
Specialist fire damper testing for Borstal: a survey, a fixed price, careful work and proper paperwork. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- Fire dampers that haven’t been tested for over a year
- Missing or out-of-date damper records
- Smoke dampers that need testing through their controls
About our fire damper testing in Borstal
Testing finds the dampers that won’t close. When one sticks, has a damaged link or is corroded, we report it and offer remedials, so the fault doesn’t just sit on a list. We are often asked to deal with smoke dampers that need testing through their controls and damper actions from a fire risk assessment, across riser dampers, fusible link fire dampers and wall and floor dampers.
Where there are care homes, schools or hotels around a place like Borstal, their dampers are often in the ductwork serving kitchens, plant rooms and corridors. Testing is planned around residents, pupils or guests.
Each visit ends with a written report and pictures, so you have a record of what was done and when. Kitchen extract cleaning to TR19® Grease is certificated through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Place
- Borstal (ME1, ME2)
- Region
- Medway
- Records
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
What happens on the day
The visit has three parts: set-up, the treatment itself and the sign-off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, and the sign-off is a written report with photos. Most of the time goes on the work itself, which takes anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. A site near Borstal typically has room to park, so the questions are about access to the system and your hours.
- We start with whatever records exist: registers, drawings or old reports.
- Each damper is located and reached through its access panel.
- Every fire damper is dropped, and every smoke damper is tested through its controls.
- Each one that passes is reset, ready to work.
- The results go into a report, with failed dampers and remedials listed.
Preparing for the visit
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
Getting a quote
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from photos or on a visit, and then send you a fixed quote. To start, ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Borstal
Also in Borstal
Looking after it afterwards
How long the results last depends on use and care. We suggest:
- Keep ceiling hatches and duct panels easy to open
- Brief other trades about dampers in ceilings and risers
- Update the register when ductwork changes
- File every damper report where your assessor can find it
Share the results with your fire risk assessor so their assessment matches what was found. Outstanding faults should be dealt with, not left on file.
Keeping to at least annual testing stops small faults turning into failed dampers. Faults caught early are easier to fix.
Leave it or put it right?
Putting testing off doesn’t change whether the dampers will close; it just means you don’t know. The guidance from BESA is at least once a year, and a skipped year leaves a hole in your records as well. Booking ahead lets us plan the trip to Borstal at a time that suits you.
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is can all change the price. Each of those is built into the quote and give you a fixed price before any work starts.
Why us?
- Every job surveyed first
- CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- Each visit written up, with pictures
Take a look at our cost guide or how to check a contractor.
Common questions in Borstal
Do you work overnight in Borstal?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. The site is handed back ready to open. When you ring 0345 646 2711 or email us, mention when the site is quiet.
Can a school’s dampers in Borstal be tested out of term time?
Yes, and it’s the easiest time to do it. There are about 13 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Borstal. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
How much does fire damper testing cost in Borstal?
There’s no set price, as it depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. We fix the price before we start.
Will we get a certificate for the dampers?
You get a test report recording every damper we tested, showing where it is, whether it passed and what we found. Keep it with your fire safety records.
Can you come out in an emergency?
Yes. If something urgent happens, like a fan failing or damage after a fire, call our 24/7 line and we’ll talk you through the next steps.
Who is the responsible person?
In the words of the Fire Safety Order 2005, it’s the responsible person. That’s generally the employer or the person in control of the premises, and where several people have control, each can have duties. If you’re not sure, check your lease and fire risk assessment.
How often do fire dampers need drop testing?
BESA guidance is that fire dampers are tested on completion of installation and at least annually after that. Spring-operated dampers need annual testing as a minimum.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes. For many sites, photos and a few details are enough, while bigger or harder-to-see systems are surveyed on site.
Fire dampers in Borstal buildings
The FSA’s food hygiene register lists about 13 schools, colleges and universities, about 19 care, childcare and hospital premises and about 4 hotels and guest houses with registered kitchens or food service in Borstal and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Many buildings of this kind have ductwork through fire-resisting walls and floors, and the dampers at those points need testing at least annually. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers Borstal. Fire and rescue authorities enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic premises, and keeping dampers working is part of the responsible person’s duty. For Borstal, the closest hospital is St. Catherine's Hospital, roughly 1.1 miles north-east. Smaller healthcare sites, from surgeries to care homes, need the same annual damper test as a hospital.
If you manage a school site such as St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School, any fire dampers can be tested in the holidays. If you manage an older building converted to a hotel or venue, like many historic houses in the area (Temple Manor is about 1 mile north), finding every damper is the first job.
Borstal is about 1 mile south-west of Rochester, in Medway. If you need fire damper testing in Borstal, it’s easy to get a fixed quote: please call us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email. We work across South East England and London, including Borstal. 68 places in Medway are on our list, large and small. We also work in Maidstone, about 8 miles from Borstal.
Fire damper testing in ME1 and ME2 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Hill Road, Manor Lane and Mount Road, and we cover them all for fire damper testing. You will find Borstal on the M2, so it’s easy for us to get to for out-of-hours visits. Other places close to Borstal include Rochester (1 mile north-east), Strood (1 mile north), Cuxton (1 mile west), North Halling (2 miles west) and Wouldham (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Gillingham (4 miles east), Rainham (5 miles east), Park Wood (5 miles east), Lordswood (4 miles south-east), Twydall (4 miles east) and Hoo St Werburgh (5 miles north-east).
Around Borstal
In Borstal, that means kitchens and buildings near Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf and St John Fisher RC Comprehensive School, among other places. Borstal’s nearest station is Cuxton station, about 1 mile west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Six Poor Travellers House (1.3 miles north-east) and Rochester Castle (1.3 miles north-east). Not far away are Blue Bell Hill and Ranscombe Farm.
What affects the quote in Borstal
There’s no set price list, because no two systems are the same. The quote depends on:
- The condition of the system
- How easy every part is to reach
- The number of sites or systems
- Travel, parking and unloading
We do not list prices on the website, because each job is priced on what it involves. Call for a fixed quote, and we will talk you through it.
What we need to know
Photos and a few facts are often enough to price the work. Useful things to send:
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- The site address and the type of premises
For a fixed quote, call 0345 646 2711 or email us with the site type, your trading hours and a short description of the system. Photos and the last report, if you have one, make the quote quicker. You’ll typically have a quote within one working day.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Away from the kitchen, the in-house job is mainly checking: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, and that’s where we come in.
What the work involves, part by part
Ceiling voids and risers
Risers and service shafts often hold dampers at each floor. Testing goes floor by floor so each one is accounted for.
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Buildings where people sleep or need help to leave rely heavily on compartments holding fire back. Annual damper testing is part of keeping that in place.
What we are called out for in Borstal
In most buildings, Borstal included, dampers are out of sight in ceiling voids, risers and service shafts. Without an access panel nearby, they’re easy to forget, and one that cannot be reached cannot be tested.
Look out for these warning signs:
- Dampers clogged with dust or grease
- Smoke dampers that need testing through their controls
- Damper actions from a fire risk assessment
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
If you manage a care home or clinic near Borstal, the testing that a hospital like St. Catherine's Hospital (about 1.1 miles north-east) relies on applies to your dampers too.
Before you book anyone
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- Whether the price is fixed
- What insurance they carry
- Which accreditations they hold, and whether you can check them