Covering Croydon and nearby
Our coverage of Croydon takes in the CR0, CR2 and CR7 postcode districts and the neighbouring parts of Greater London. If your address sits close to a boundary, it is still covered: send the postcode with your enquiry about break-out escape route doors and we will confirm the arrangements and the price in writing.
Victorian and Georgian terraces are common across London, and converted buildings in Croydon may have steps, narrow hallways or shared front doors. A home door opener or an operator on a communal door has to work within those limits, and the engineer checks what will fit.
Nearby towns we also list for break-out escape route doors (straight-line distance): Carshalton (3.1 miles), Mitcham (3.2 miles), Purley (3.3 miles), Streatham (3.4 miles), Beckenham (3.7 miles), Tooting (4.0 miles).
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Croydon
- Work on a busy entrance in Croydon is often best done early in the morning, in the evening or over a weekend. Any out-of-hours working is agreed and priced in the written quote rather than added later.
- Get hold of the fire strategy, or ask your fire risk assessor, before the survey. Knowing whether the door must slide open on alarm, break out, or both, saves a second visit and a revised quote.
- Check the swing zone outside the entrance. Planters, cycle stands, bins and A-boards that are harmless beside a normal door can stop a break-out leaf opening fully, so plan to keep that area clear.
- Entrances facing the prevailing wind can have break-out leaves pushed by strong gusts. The break-out fittings and the door's wind settings are chosen at survey to suit how exposed the entrance is.
- Hospitals and clinics in Croydon often want break-out entrances tied into the building management and fire alarm systems. Allow time for the alarm contractor to provide a signal and for the estates team to approve the interface.
Break-out escape route doors in Croydon: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £7,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Break-out sliding door set for an escape route | from £7,995 | installed, ex VAT; typically up to £16,995 |
| Converting an existing sliding door to break-out | Priced on survey | depends on the frame, leaves and operator |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | per door, ex VAT |
| Touch-free switch or push pad, fitted | £145 – £395 | per switch, ex VAT |
Standards and rules in England
In England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits. Break-out sliding doors are used where an entrance also forms part of an escape route, as the fire strategy allows. Whether a break-out door is suitable is decided by the fire strategy for the building and the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
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.
How it works
- Get in touch. Call, email or use the form with the address and what you have in mind. If you are not sure which type of door suits, describe the entrance and we will suggest the options worth considering.
- Survey and advice. The survey costs nothing and carries no obligation. The engineer checks the site and explains which options suit the entrance, the people using it and the budget, before anything is priced.
- Quote in writing. You receive a fixed, itemised quote for break-out escape route doors in Croydon, covering equipment, installation, testing and handover, with the lead time and payment stages set out clearly.
- Install, test, explain. The engineer installs and commissions the door, tests the sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour, and walks you through the controls. The handover pack records what was installed and tested.
For a break-out escape route door in Croydon, start with a free survey. The fixed quote covers the entrance, alarm link, testing and handover records.
Break-out escape route doors in Croydon: questions
We have an old sliding door in Croydon. Do we have to replace all of it?
Not always. If the frame and operator can take break-out leaves and parts are still available, a conversion may be possible. If the door is older or its parts are unsupported, replacing the whole entrance is usually more reliable. The survey looks at both and the quote explains the difference.
What do you charge for break-out escape route doors in Croydon?
Our guide starts from £7,995 excluding VAT (per door set), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Croydon confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Our shop in Croydon is inside a shopping centre. Can you still fit a break-out door?
In most cases, yes. Centre management usually sets rules on contractors, working hours and connections to the centre's fire alarm. We work within those rules, provide the method statements and insurance details they ask for, and plan the fitting so the unit can trade for as much of the time as possible.
Do you install break-out sliding doors in Croydon?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installations in Croydon through specialist automatic door engineers working under our management. We supply the complete entrance, set it up to the fire strategy you give us, test it in every mode and hand over the records. The survey is free and the quote is fixed.
What happens once the installation in Croydon is finished?
The engineer tests every function, including the safety sensors and the behaviour on power loss, and sets the door up with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown how to use the controls and which simple checks to make, and you receive the handover documents, including the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
What is the lead time for break-out escape route doors in Croydon?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Croydon?
In England the guidance is Approved Document M (Volume 2) for access, Approved Document B for fire safety and escape routes, and Approved Document K for glazing and powered doors. A new entrance can count as building work, so building control should be involved before it is ordered.