What we do in County Down
- Shops and high streets. Automatic doors that hold heat in and let customers with buggies, wheelchairs or full bags walk straight in, including older shopfronts where space is tight. See shops and retail.
- Door openers at home. Automatic openers for front, back and internal doors in homes across County Down, arranged around the person using them and their carers. The survey is free and the quote is fixed. See home door openers.
- Accessible door operators. Low-energy swing operators, push pads and wave switches that make existing public doors easier to open for wheelchair users, people with buggies and anyone carrying shopping. See accessible door operators.
- Repairs to most makes. Fault-finding and repair of sliding, swing, folding and revolving automatic doors, with the visit price agreed in writing before an engineer attends and any parts quoted first. See automatic door repairs.
Towns we list in County Down
Automatic doors and the law in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, disability access duties come from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, because the Equality Act 2010 does not apply there. Service providers and employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments, and an automatic door is a common one at entrances.
The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 require a powered door to have a means to prevent it trapping anyone and a means to open it if the power fails. Guidance on access to buildings is in Technical Booklet R, and building control approval is needed for new entrances.
In Northern Ireland machinery, including a new or converted powered door, carries the CE marking (with UKNI added where a UK body carried out the conformity assessment), and the EU Machinery Regulation applies there from 20 January 2027. Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993) 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 Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. In Northern Ireland, the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 say sliding or revolving doors shall not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits, and automatic doors on an escape route need arrangements that never block people leaving, such as failing safely to open or a break-out facility, agreed through the fire risk assessment.
Questions from County Down
Do you fit automatic door openers in homes in County Down?
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.
What types of automatic door can you install in County Down?
Sliding, telescopic, curved, frameless glass, folding, swing and revolving doors, plus hermetic doors for controlled environments, break-out doors for escape routes and entrance lobbies. We also fit accessible operators to existing doors and openers in private homes. Browse new automatic doors to compare the options.
Can you repair an automatic door in County Down that you did not install?
Yes. Engineers working under our management repair most makes of automatic door, whoever fitted them. Tell us what the door is doing and send a photo of any label on the operator. We agree the visit price in writing before anyone attends, and quote any parts before fitting them.
How long does an automatic door installation in County Down take?
Fitting an operator to an existing door often takes a day, and a complete sliding entrance typically takes one to three days on site once the door has been made. Lead times before that are typically two to eight weeks, depending on the door type. Your quote sets out the expected lead time and the time on site.
What happens to an automatic door in a power cut?
That depends on how the door is set up. Some doors open and stay open, some can be pushed open by hand, and some have a battery that keeps them working for a time or opens them once. Workplace health and safety law expects powered doors to be safe if the power fails. The right setting for a building in County Down is agreed before installation.
Can a home in County Down get help paying for a door opener?
Possibly. In Northern Ireland Disabled Facilities Grants of up to £25,000 are run through the Housing Executive and are normally based on an occupational therapist’s recommendation, so raise a powered door opener at that assessment.