What we do in Cheshire
- Door openers at home. Automatic openers for front, back and internal doors in homes across Cheshire, arranged around the person using them and their carers. The survey is free and the quote is fixed. See home door openers.
- Safety inspections. A documented check of each door's safety functions and a site-specific risk assessment with reference to BS EN 16005, for employers, landlords and building managers in England. See safety inspections.
- Automating existing doors. Where a door and frame in Cheshire are sound, adding a sliding or swing operator can cost far less than replacing the entrance. The free survey checks whether it will work. See automating an existing door.
- Schools, councils and public buildings. Entrances for schools, libraries, leisure centres and civic buildings across Cheshire, planned around term dates, opening hours and public access. See public buildings.
Towns we list in Cheshire
- Warrington
- Chester
- Crewe
- Ellesmere Port
- Widnes
- Runcorn
- Macclesfield
- Northwich
- Winsford
- Congleton
- Wilmslow
- Sandbach
- Nantwich
Automatic doors and the law in England
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door.
Building regulations guidance in England (Approved Document M, Volume 2) says a powered opening system should be used where a self-closing entrance door would need more than 30 N at the leading edge to open, or more than 22.5 N between 30° and 60°, and expects external doors used by the public in new buildings to give at least 1000 mm of effective clear width.
In Great Britain a new or converted powered door must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 before it is first used, and can carry the UKCA or the CE marking. Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance.
Doors on escape routes and fire doors are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits.
Questions from Cheshire
Do automatic doors in Cheshire open when the fire alarm sounds?
They can, if they are linked to the fire alarm. Doors on escape routes are set up to open, break out or be openable by hand, as the fire strategy for the building requires, and fire doors that are held open must close automatically when the alarm operates. We set doors up to match the strategy you give us.
What information helps when I contact you about a door in Cheshire?
The address, the type of building, photos of the door from both sides and a rough size of the opening. For a fault, add what the door is doing and a photo of any label on the operator. For a new door, tell us how the entrance is used and by whom. That lets us book the right visit and agree the price in writing.
Can work in Cheshire be done outside opening hours?
Yes. Early mornings, evenings and weekends can be arranged for shops, surgeries, offices and schools that need their entrance during the day. Tell us your preferred times when you enquire. Any extra cost is set out in the written quote or the agreed visit price before the work is booked.
How much do automatic doors cost in Cheshire?
Prices depend on the door type, the size of the opening and what is already there. We publish guide prices for every service on our prices page, and the guide price tool gives a range before anyone visits. The same guide prices apply across the UK, and the written quote confirms the figure for your building.
Do you fit automatic door openers in homes in Cheshire?
Yes. We arrange automatic openers for front, back and internal doors for wheelchair users and people with limited strength or mobility. The survey is free and looks at the door, the person using it and how carers come and go. Councils can sometimes help with the cost of adaptations, so check with yours before work starts, as approval usually comes first.
Do businesses in Cheshire have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.