Covering Reading and nearby
Homes, businesses and public buildings throughout the RG1, RG6, RG30 and RG31 postcode districts can arrange fire door hold-open devices with us. We are the contracting party and organise every visit; the engineer, who works under our management, travels in to Reading for the job rather than working from premises in town.
Out-of-hours work is common in a city, where retail entrances may only be available before opening and office lobbies at weekends. Work in Reading can be arranged early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends where the building needs it, with any extra cost shown in the written price.
Nearby towns we also list for fire door hold-open devices (straight-line distance): Woodley (3.8 miles), Wokingham (6.6 miles), Crowthorne (9.7 miles), Yateley (9.9 miles), Bracknell (9.9 miles), Sandhurst (11.0 miles).
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in Reading
- Doors that open too far from a wall for a wall magnet can use a floor-mounted unit or a magnet on an extension arm. The survey measures where each door rests when open.
- Fire doors on stairs and protected escape routes need particular care. The fire risk assessment may allow some of them to be held open and not others, so pricing is door by door.
- Think about who tests the fire alarm each week at your building in Reading. Adding a walk past the held-open doors to that test is the easiest way to confirm they release.
- Care homes in Reading usually want bedroom doors that residents can open easily. Free-swing closers suit this, provided the evacuation strategy for the home supports them.
- Residential blocks often have communal corridor doors that residents prop open. Hold-open devices give the same convenience while letting the doors close when the alarm sounds.
Fire door hold-open devices in Reading: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £145 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Battery acoustic hold-open unit | £145 – £295 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
| Hard-wired hold-open magnet linked to the fire alarm | £245 – £595 | per door, ex VAT; alarm panel work extra |
| Free-swing door closer linked to the fire alarm | £395 – £895 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
Which hold-open device is suitable depends on your fire risk assessment. Linking to the fire alarm may need work by your alarm engineer.
Standards and rules in England
Hold-open devices and door release units linked to the fire alarm need regular testing as part of the building’s fire safety checks, and the results should be recorded.
Fire doors that are held open must close automatically when the fire alarm operates. Where hold-open devices can be used is decided by the fire risk assessment, which is the job of the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
How it works
- Start with a short enquiry. Use the form, phone or email. Tell us whether the work is a new door, an upgrade or an opener for a home, and we arrange the next step for your site in Reading.
- Measured survey. The free survey confirms what will fit and what the entrance needs: opening width, door type, activation, safety sensors and behaviour on power loss or fire alarm, matched to how the building is used.
- Written price, no surprises. A fixed, itemised quote sets out the specification, the work involved, the expected lead time and the warranty terms. You can ask questions or change the specification before accepting it.
- Installed and commissioned. The door is installed with as little disruption as possible, then set up and tested for its hazard zones. Before leaving, the engineer explains the controls and hands over the documents for your records.
For care homes, offices and schools in Reading, we survey, quote and fit alarm-linked hold-open devices. Get in touch to arrange a time that suits your building.
Fire door hold-open devices in Reading: questions
Do you fit fire door hold-open devices in Reading?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installations in Reading through specialist engineers working under our management. They look at each door, its closer and the alarm system, recommend a device for each door and we send a fixed, itemised quote. The survey costs you nothing, and you are under no obligation to accept the quote.
What will fire door hold-open devices in Reading cost?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Reading confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you work with the fire alarm company that maintains our system in Reading?
Yes, and for wired devices we usually need to. The connection at the alarm panel is made by, or agreed with, the engineer who looks after your alarm. We share the device details with them and agree the visits, so the alarm and the doors can be tested together once the work is finished.
Are battery hold-open units a good choice for older buildings in Reading?
Often they are. Radio and acoustic battery units avoid long cable runs, which helps in older or listed buildings and finished corridors. Acoustic units are only suitable where the fire risk assessment allows them and the alarm can be heard clearly at the door. Batteries need replacing at the interval the maker states.
Can installation in Reading happen outside opening hours?
Yes. Many shops, surgeries and offices prefer work early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends, when the entrance is quietest. Tell us your constraints when you enquire and they are built into the plan. Any extra cost for out-of-hours work is shown in the written quote rather than added afterwards.
How much disruption should we expect while the work is done in Reading?
Most installations take one visit or a short series of visits, with dust and noise kept to the area around the door. The engineer screens off the work area, keeps a route in or out where possible and clears up before leaving. Larger entrances, lobbies or structural changes take longer, and the quote explains how that work is phased.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Reading?
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.