Covering Eltham and nearby
If your building is in Eltham, or anywhere in the SE9 postcode district, we can arrange break-out escape route doors. Visits are booked with you in advance, timed around opening hours where that matters, and carried out by engineers who work under our management.
Many London entrances can only be worked on outside trading hours. For sites in Eltham, early starts, evenings and weekends can be arranged, with any extra cost set out in the written price before the job is confirmed.
Nearby towns we also list for break-out escape route doors (straight-line distance): Welling (2.5 miles), Sidcup (2.8 miles), Woolwich (2.8 miles), Lewisham (2.9 miles), Catford (3.2 miles), Greenwich (3.3 miles).
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Eltham
- 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.
- Supermarkets and large stores in Eltham see trolleys, pallets and cleaning machines through the entrance. Those knocks can stiffen or loosen break-out fittings, so set service intervals with that traffic in mind.
- 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.
- Work on a busy entrance in Eltham 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.
- Shopping centre units in Eltham usually need landlord approval for a new entrance and for any fire alarm connection. Ask centre management for their fit-out rules early, as they often set working hours and contractor requirements.
Break-out escape route doors in Eltham: 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.
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.
How it works
- Tell us about the entrance. Send the address, a few photos and a rough size of the opening, and say how the door is used. That is enough for us to suggest options for break-out escape route doors and book a survey in Eltham.
- Free site survey. A specialist engineer working under our management measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power, and talks through how people use the entrance. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Fixed written quote. You receive a fixed, itemised written quote with the specification, lead time, payment stages and warranty terms. The price does not change unless the scope does, and any change is agreed in writing first.
- Installation and handover. The door is fitted on the agreed dates, then set up, tested and documented with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown the controls and the simple checks to make, and receive the handover paperwork.
For a break-out escape route door in Eltham, start with a free survey. The fixed quote covers the entrance, alarm link, testing and handover records.
Break-out escape route doors in Eltham: questions
Can you work with our fire risk assessor in Eltham?
Yes, and it usually helps. We can send your assessor the proposed specification, the break-out arrangement and how the door will behave on power loss and alarm, so they can confirm it matches the fire strategy before you order. Any changes they ask for are reflected in a revised quote.
Is there a guide price for break-out escape route doors in Eltham?
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 Eltham confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
We have an old sliding door in Eltham. 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.
Our shop in Eltham 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.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Eltham?
If the work replaces an existing door, frame or operator, removal and disposal are listed in the quote. The old door comes out only when the new one is ready to go in, so the opening is not left empty for longer than necessary. Making good to the surrounding wall, floor or ceiling is included where the quote says so.
How do you make sure the door works for disabled visitors in Eltham?
We look at who uses the entrance: wheelchair users, people with walking aids, parents with buggies and older visitors. That shapes the opening width, the opening speed, the hold-open time and where push pads or sensors go. Service providers and employers have duties to make reasonable adjustments under equality and accessibility law, and an automatic door is a common one.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Eltham?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for the premises must make sure escape routes work and fire safety equipment is maintained. Automatic doors on an escape route need fail-safe opening or break-out, set by the fire strategy.