Wokingham · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Reading
Fire damper testing across Reading and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and signed off in writing with photos.
- Fire dampers that haven’t been tested for over a year
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
About our fire damper testing in Reading
BESA guidance is that fire dampers should be tested by a competent person when they’re installed and at least annually after that. For spring-operated types, annual testing is the minimum. Our job is to do the testing and hand you the paperwork that shows it. We’re often asked to deal with missing or out-of-date damper records and dust or grease build-up on damper blades, on motorised smoke dampers, wall and floor dampers and offices and schools.
A place the size of Reading has offices, hotels, schools and blocks of flats, and buildings like these often have ducted ventilation passing through fire-resisting walls and floors. Each damper at those crossings needs testing at least annually under BESA guidance.
Accreditations are easy to claim and worth checking. We are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, with full insurance on top.
When something else is needed
Fire damper testing cannot fix everything, and we will tell you before work begins. It doesn’t solve:
- Signing off a building’s overall fire safety
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
If you are not sure, just call 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
Where we work
- Riser dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Offices and schools
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
FAQs for Reading
Do you work overnight in Reading?
Yes, we can come after you close and finish before you open. The site is handed back ready to open. When you call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line, mention when the site is quiet.
Which fire authority looks after Reading?
It’s Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Reading. A report listing every damper, its location and its result is the easiest way to show the dampers are maintained.
Who is responsible for fire safety on the premises?
It depends on the building. The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty on the responsible person, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, facilities manager or managing agent.
How long does fire damper testing take?
Typically the work takes from an hour or two in a small building to several visits on a large estate. It comes down mainly to how many dampers there are and how easy they are to get to.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
By covering it before any work starts. The work is kept contained and leave the area clean.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. We’re fully insured, and the details are available on request.
How far ahead should we book?
The more notice, the better, particularly for night and weekend visits. Quotes normally come back within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
Can you quote from pictures?
Yes, if we can see what we need. If not, a site survey comes first, then a fixed quote.
What the work involves, part by part
Offices and retail
Multi-let buildings may have dampers inside tenant areas. We agree access with the managing agent before the visit.
Smoke dampers
Smoke dampers are motorised and run by a control system. Testing means operating them from the controls and check each blade travels fully.
How the visit works
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your pictures. If anything is different, we talk it through with the person on site before carrying on. After that, the work takes anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. Phased working suits larger sites in a place the size of Reading, with each part handed back before the next starts.
- We go through the damper schedule and any previous faults.
- Each damper is found and checked for access.
- We test fire dampers by dropping them and smoke dampers by operating them through the controls.
- Passes are reset and any failures recorded with the reason.
- We report the results and offer remedials on failed dampers.
Getting ready for the visit
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
Ask for a quote
If you need fire damper testing in Reading, call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form. Let us know the site type and the opening hours, and send photos or your last report if you can. A fixed quote normally follows within one working day.
Related advice
Fire damper testing in Reading: local notes
There are about 29 schools, colleges and universities, about 42 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) and about 10 hotels and B&Bs on the FSA’s food hygiene register in and around Reading, up to about a mile and a half out. Schools, care settings and hotels are the kind of buildings where fire dampers are commonly found. The fire and rescue service for Reading is Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces and other non-domestic buildings, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. For Reading, the closest hospital is Royal Berkshire Hospital, roughly 0.8 miles east. A hospital is the kind of building where dampers sit on every floor, and clinics, surgeries and care homes need the same annual testing for any they have.
Royal Berkshire Hospital, about 0.8 miles east of Reading, is the kind of building where dampers protect every compartment; smaller care sites need the same annual tests. If you look after a building near Reading West station with a fire risk assessment due, a damper test with a full record is worth having first. Mapledurham House, about 3.6 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses near Reading, and older buildings converted to new uses often have ventilation added later.
Reading is about 38 miles west of London, in Wokingham. From the centre of Reading to the outskirts, fire damper testing is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from a single unit to a large public building. Our area takes in 35 places across Wokingham, large and small.
Postcode districts we cover here for fire damper testing: RG6, RG31, RG1 and RG30. You’ll find streets such as Downshire Square, Market Way and Market Place, all of which we cover for fire damper testing. With the A4 and A33 close by, Reading is simple for us to get to for fire damper testing. If your site is just outside Reading, we cover Coley Park (1 mile south-west), West Reading (1 mile north-west), Newtown (1 mile east), Lower Caversham (1 mile north-east) and Whitley (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Wokingham (6 miles south-east), Woodley (3 miles east), Crowthorne (9 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles south-east), Winnersh (4 miles east) and Woosehill (6 miles south-east). Being one of Wokingham’s larger places, Reading has commercial sites of every size, and we cover all of them for fire damper testing.
Around Reading
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Former Kennet Arms, Eldon Square and Kendrick School and the streets around them. Nearby too are University of Reading library (1.5 miles south-east) and Eurospeak Language School (0.5 miles north). Reading’s nearest station is Reading West station, about 0.7 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find The Oracle (under half a mile north-east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east). Not far away are Sonning Hill and Longwater.
Also near Reading
More services for Reading
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: keeping grilles clear, noting unusual noise or smells and logging filter changes. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping down canopy surfaces, cleaning filters and keeping a simple log. What they can’t safely do is clean inside the ductwork, the fan or the risers, which is where we come in.
How we price fire damper testing
Your quote is based on your site. We take into account:
- The size of the system
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- The condition of the system
Working hours, access and the scale of the site can all change the price. Each of those is built into the quote, and the price is fixed before work begins.
What to send for a quote
Many jobs can be priced from photos and some basics. Useful things to send:
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- The site address and the type of premises
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from pictures or on a visit, and then send you a fixed quote. To start, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form.
Why deal with it now?
When something goes wrong, people ask what checks were in place. A damper test log helps show the responsible person kept on top of things, and you can only produce records for tests that took place. Larger sites in Reading are easier to manage on a planned schedule.
A single site or a whole portfolio, we price it on the same basis: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. You’ll have a fixed price before any work starts.
Why book with us
- Fully insured
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- Fixed quotes, usually within one working day
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
Take a look at what affects the cost or how to check a contractor.
Between visits
Once we have finished, these simple steps help:
- Keep to at least yearly testing
- Act on failed dampers rather than leaving them on file
- Brief other trades about dampers in ceilings and risers
- Keep cables and fixings away from damper blades
When we finish, we send a report covering every damper on the visit, with where it is and whether it passed. File it with your fire safety log so it’s to hand for assessors and insurers.
Make sure every damper can be reached. If a damper has no access panel, have one fitted ahead of the next visit.