What we do in County Londonderry
- 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.
- Healthcare and care settings. Automatic doors for surgeries, clinics, wards and care homes, set up for gentle opening and closing where vulnerable people use them. See care homes and healthcare.
- Residential blocks. Communal entrance doors for housing providers and managing agents in County Londonderry, linked to door entry or fob systems where needed and serviced to a written record. See residential blocks.
- Upgrades after an inspection. Work that closes the gaps a safety inspection finds on older doors in Northern Ireland, from extra safety sensors to clearer signage, quoted item by item. See safety and compliance upgrades.
Towns we list in County Londonderry
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 Londonderry
What types of automatic door can you install in County Londonderry?
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.
Is the site survey in County Londonderry free?
For new automatic doors, upgrades, retrofits and home door openers, yes: the site survey is free and comes with a fixed, itemised written quote and no obligation. Repairs, servicing and safety inspections are different. For those, the visit price is agreed in writing before an engineer attends.
How long does an automatic door installation in County Londonderry 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 Londonderry is agreed before installation.
Can an existing door in County Londonderry be made automatic?
Often, yes. If the door, frame and hinges are sound, a swing or sliding operator can be added rather than replacing the whole entrance. The free survey checks the weight and condition of the door, the fixings, the space for the operator and the power supply. See automating an existing door for what is involved.
What do the building regulations in Northern Ireland say about powered doors?
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 is in Technical Booklet R, and new entrances need building control approval.