Coverage across County Durham
From large town centres to quiet villages, entrances across County Durham vary a great deal, and the right approach to fire door hold-open devices varies with them. A surgery door used by patients with walking frames needs different settings from a supermarket entrance, so the engineer looks at the actual door first. The towns we list in this area currently number 13.
Towns listed in County Durham: Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Billingham, Stanley, Consett, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, Seaham, Peterlee, Spennymoor.
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in County Durham
- 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.
- Older buildings in County Durham may have fire doors that no longer close fully on their own. A hold-open device cannot fix that, so the survey checks closers, hinges and latches first.
- Schools and colleges in County Durham may want hold-open devices fitted during the holidays so corridors are not disrupted in term time. Fitting can be planned around term dates.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas can make new cable runs difficult. Radio-triggered battery units avoid most wiring, although the transmitter still needs a connection at the alarm panel.
- Busy office corridors suit wall magnets that hold doors right back against the wall, out of the way of people and trolleys, until the alarm releases them.
Fire door hold-open devices in County Durham: 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
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.
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.
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 fire door hold-open devices in County Durham, 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.
Arrange your free hold-open device survey in County Durham today and receive a written quote with a fixed price. Nothing is fitted until you have accepted it.
Fire door hold-open devices in County Durham: questions
What will the survey in County Durham look at?
The engineer checks that each door closes and latches from fully open, the condition of the closer and seals, where the door rests when open, nearby power supplies and the alarm panel or radio options. We also ask to see the relevant part of the fire risk assessment, so the quote covers only doors that can be held open.
What will fire door hold-open devices in County Durham cost?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in County Durham confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Do you fit fire door hold-open devices in County Durham?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installations in County Durham 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.
How soon can hold-open devices be fitted in County Durham?
Once the quote is accepted, supply is typically 1 to 3 weeks, and fitting a few devices on one floor usually takes a day. Larger jobs are planned in stages so doors are never left without protection. Your quote shows the expected programme, and fitting dates are agreed with you before work starts.
Can installation in County Durham 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.
What happens once the installation in County Durham 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.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in County Durham?
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.