What we do in Gwent
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fire door hold-open devices. Alarm-linked devices that keep busy fire doors open for everyday use and release them to close automatically when the fire alarm operates. See fire door hold-open devices.
Towns we list in Gwent
- Newport
- Cwmbran
- Pontypool
- Ebbw Vale
- Caerphilly
- Blackwood
- Tredegar
- Abergavenny
- Bargoed
- Chepstow
- Risca
- Abertillery
- Monmouth
- Caldicot
Automatic doors and the law in Wales
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers in Wales must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door.
Wales has its own building regulations guidance. Approved Document M (Wales) uses a lower opening-force limit than England, 20 N at the leading edge, before a powered door is called for, 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 Wales, as in England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits.
Questions from Gwent
Can you work with schools, hospitals and care homes in Gwent?
We can. Healthcare, care and education buildings need doors that are gentle, reliable and safe for vulnerable users, with work planned around patients, residents or the school timetable. We provide written prices and records suited to organisations that buy through procurement. See sectors for more on each type of building.
Can you fit automatic doors to listed buildings in Gwent?
Often, yes, with the right consent. Changes to a listed building, or to a shopfront in a conservation area, usually need approval from the local planning authority. Slim operators and automating the existing door can reduce the visual impact. Our guide to shop doors, planning and listed buildings explains what to check.
Do you fit automatic door openers in homes in Gwent?
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 information helps when I contact you about a door in Gwent?
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.
Is the site survey in Gwent 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.
Can a home in Gwent get help paying for a door opener?
Possibly. In Wales a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £36,000 can fund adaptations that make it easier to get in and out of a home. Grants are means-tested and must be approved by the council before work starts.