Leasehold

A corridor door closer is wedged with a fire extinguisher. What compartmentation point is defeated, and what test was not done?

The compartmentation point defeated is that corridor door, for as long as the closer is wedged open with a fire extinguisher. A door that should shut cannot separate the corridor while it is held open. The test that was not done is any test of the closer, the seals or the door as a fire door. The survey saw the wedge. It did not time a close, did not check a certificate, and has not said the door would pass one.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Compartmentation is the idea that a closed door holds smoke and fire in one part of the block. An extinguisher used as a wedge keeps this leaf open, so that line is defeated on the day. The survey records how the door was found. It does not carry out a fire-door inspection. Paint, gaps and ironmongery can be described if they were seen. Performance was not measured. The extinguisher is also not in its proper job while it is on the floor holding a door.

Pass the note to the managing agent through the solicitor if the corridor is common parts, and do not invent a test result to shorten the email. Ask the surveyor only what was visible: the wedge, and any gap or damage actually written down. Certification and maintenance of common doors sit with the block's papers. The inspection did not remove the extinguisher and try the closer, and it has not passed the door.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Which door was held open, and what was used as the wedge?
What test of the closer or the door was not done?
Are you describing how the door was found, rather than certifying it?

What are the typical next steps?

Report the wedged closer as a door found open, not as a test.
Ask the solicitor to raise it with the managing agent if it is common.
Do not describe the extinguisher wedge as a passed fire door.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

If the door is heavy, has the closer been proved?

No. Weight is not a test. The closer was wedged with an extinguisher, so it was not watched shutting. The survey has not proved the ironmongery. Compartmentation at that door is defeated while the wedge stays. A heavy leaf can still be a leaf that was open on the day.

Does removing the extinguisher after the visit rewrite the survey?

Removing it later changes the building after the inspection. It does not mean the survey tested the closer, and it does not edit what was seen. The note remains a door found wedged. Someone still needs to know whether the closer works. The inspection did not supply that test.