Kent · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Fordwich
Fire damper testing across Fordwich and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and signed off in writing with pictures.
- Buildings with no damper register
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
What we do, step by step
We turn up at the time agreed with you, often in the evening, overnight or at the weekend so the site keeps working. Anything that needs to be off for the work is switched off and left to cool before we start, and the area around the work is covered and protected. On site, it takes from an hour or two in a small building to several visits on a large estate. A quick note on how to find the site and where to park makes a visit to Fordwich run smoothly.
- We plan access and timing with you first, including any out-of-hours work.
- Ceiling tiles and hatches are opened and each damper’s access panel removed.
- We release each blade and check it shuts all the way.
- We reset it and record any dirt, corrosion or damage.
- We close everything up and send the results in a report.
Before we arrive
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Clear the space around the work
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
Ask for a quote
Want a quote for fire damper testing? Please give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with a few details about the site. We’ll explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before you commit to anything.
Related advice
Fire damper testing in Fordwich
In a fire, ductwork can act as a shortcut for flame and smoke from one part of a building to the next. A damper only does its job if the blade can drop fully. Regular drop testing is how that gets checked in each part of the building. The work covers motorised smoke dampers, offices and schools and riser dampers, and the jobs we see most are dampers affected by leaks or condensation and smoke dampers that need testing through their controls.
For a building in or near Fordwich, the visit is planned ahead, with access agreed in advance, and the test itself is the same as in any city building.
Each visit ends with a written report and pictures, so there’s a dated record of the work. Where the work is a TR19® Grease clean, the certificate is issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Place
- Fordwich (CT2)
- Region
- Kent
- Paperwork
- Photo report after each visit
- Price
- A fixed price before any work starts
- When we work
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
FAQs for Fordwich
Which fire service covers Fordwich?
Fire safety enforcement in Fordwich is handled by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Keep each damper test report with the fire risk assessment and the building’s log book, ready to show.
Can you work in Fordwich outside opening hours?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. It means the site in Fordwich keeps running as normal. Just ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with your opening times and we’ll plan around them.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes. We run scheduled maintenance contracts, set at the interval the system needs. Each report recommends when the next visit should be.
How long will damper testing take?
A visit takes anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. Bigger sites can be phased, so phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us for a quote.
What happens to the waste?
It leaves the site with us at the end of the visit. While we work, it’s kept contained so the area stays clean.
What if a fire damper won’t close?
It’s listed on the report as a fault and we quote for remedials. Once fixed, the damper is drop tested again and the record updated.
Are you insured?
Yes. Duct Doctor is fully insured, and we can share the details when you need them.
Is TR19 cleaning required by law?
No, not in itself. TR19® is the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs check against, and many insurance policies ask for proof of TR19® cleaning. The legal duty sits in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies in England and Wales.
Nearby places to Fordwich
More services for Fordwich
When something else is needed
Fire damper testing cannot fix everything, and we will tell you before we start. It does not solve:
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Sign-off of the whole building’s fire safety
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will say what we think before you book.
What the work covers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Offices and schools
- Riser dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
What your team can do, and what needs us
Staff cleaning does not replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Clean filters and tidy surfaces slow the build-up, but the parts you can’t see still need a specialist at the right interval.
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and give you a fixed quote.
Part by part
Fusible link fire dampers
For dampers closed by a spring, BESA guidance is annual testing as a minimum. A weak spring or a sticking blade shows up when the damper is dropped.
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Where residents can’t easily get out, holding fire and smoke back matters even more. Annual damper testing is part of keeping that in place.
Fordwich buildings and fire safety
The FSA’s food hygiene register lists about 8 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) with registered kitchens or food service within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Fordwich. Many buildings of this kind have ductwork through fire-resisting walls and floors, and the dampers at those points need testing at least annually. About 1.5 miles south-west of Fordwich is St Martins Hospital, the nearest hospital. Hospitals are a good example of a building with fire dampers across many floors and departments. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers Fordwich. Its fire safety officers enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic buildings, and that covers fire safety systems such as dampers.
If you manage offices, shops or flats near Sturry station, the ductwork in them may pass through fire-resisting walls and floors, and any dampers need testing at least once a year. Healthcare buildings such as St Martins Hospital (about 1.5 miles south-west) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Fordwich is about 2 miles north-east of Canterbury, in Kent. Across the CT2 area, we can carry out fire damper testing at your premises. Our area takes in 922 places across Kent, from busy centres to quieter spots. Our Maidstone page covers sites nearby, about 26 miles away.
All of CT2 is covered for fire damper testing, from busy streets to back roads. Local streets include Brooklands Close, Water Meadows and King Street, and we cover them all for fire damper testing. Other places close to Fordwich include Littlebourne (2 miles south-east), Bekesbourne Hill (2 miles south), Wickhambreaux (3 miles east), Ickham (3 miles south-east) and Patrixbourne (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Margate (13 miles north-east), Dover (13 miles south-east), Folkestone (15 miles south), Ramsgate (13 miles east), Broadstairs (14 miles east) and Whitstable (6 miles north-west).
What’s near Fordwich
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Frank Montgomery School, Chequer's Wood and Old Park and Fordwich Arms. Fordwich has its own railway station: Sturry station. Well-known places in the area include Whitefriars Shopping Centre (2.4 miles south-west) and St Martins Hospital (1.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Leave it or put it right?
Your fire risk assessor or insurer may want evidence that dampers have been tested. Having a current report ready for a building in Fordwich saves a scramble when the question comes. Rural sites cannot always move to another kitchen or room when something fails.
What you pay reflects the actual work. That is why every job is surveyed first, and the price is agreed before any work starts.
Why book with us
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- We diagnose before we treat
- A written report with pictures after each visit
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
Between visits
Think of this as the after-treatment advice, short and simple:
- Warn anyone working in ceiling voids about the dampers
- Get remedials done soon after a failed test
- Keep ceiling hatches and duct panels easy to open
- Diary the annual test well ahead
Any damper that failed is listed with the reason, and we can quote for remedials. After a repair, we retest the damper and update the record.
Where a damper sits in ductwork that collects dust or grease, keeping that ductwork clean helps. Duct cleaning and damper testing can be planned side by side.
When to call us in Fordwich
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person has a duty to keep fire safety measures working, and dampers are part of those measures. Employers, owners, landlords and managing agents all need evidence that the dampers have been checked.
Any of these means the system needs a check-up:
- Dampers affected by leaks or condensation
- Dampers that cannot be reached without an access panel
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Dampers that stick or will not close fully
For schools like Sturry Church of England Primary School, damper testing is easiest in the holidays, when corridors and ceilings are clear.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- What’s included in the scope, part by part
- What records you will receive afterwards