Communal fire doors in Gravesend: what's involved
If you need communal fire doors in Gravesend, we can survey, supply and install, then leave you the evidence your fire risk assessor will ask for.
Gravesend has a broad mix of buildings, including family homes after loft conversions, HMOs and schools, and the same fire door principles apply to all of them.
We phase communal door replacements in Gravesend so every escape route stays protected throughout the programme. The evidence pack for each communal door in Gravesend is set out to support whatever checking regime your fire risk assessment sets.
How do you work in an occupied building?
Escape routes have to stay usable. We phase communal door work so that no stair or corridor is left without protection overnight, keep a doorset ready to fit before removing the old one, and agree working hours with the building manager. Where a hold-open device is needed, we coordinate with your fire alarm contractor for the release interface.
On a typical job that means:
- Evidence pack suitable for regulation 10 records
- Tested vision panels and durable finishes
- Closers, coordinators and hold-opens as required
- Survey of every communal opening and its use
The regulations behind fire doors in Gravesend
The rules that apply to fire doors in Gravesend are England's. The responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must keep fire doors in non-domestic premises and the common parts of flats in working order; the Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed that this includes flat entrance doors onto common parts.
Where a Gravesend block is above 11 metres, regulation 10 of the 2022 regulations means communal doors are checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually on a best-endeavours basis. Replacement doors must also satisfy the Building Regulations, with Approved Document B as the guidance most building control bodies work from.
Buildings and duty holders in Gravesend
Landlords, managing agents, facilities teams and homeowners in Gravesend can all commission communal fire doors from us. The usual settings are hotels and student accommodation, though single doors for blocks of flats are just as welcome.
The steps on a Gravesend installation
- Survey communal doors and plan a phased sequence
- Agree working hours and resident notices with the client
- Order doorsets to size with matching hardware
- Replace doors one route section at a time
- Commission closers and hold-opens with the alarm contractor
- Hand over evidence for your fire safety records
Guide prices in Gravesend
Budget around from around £800 for a single communal doorset to £3,200 for a glazed pair, ex VAT for communal fire doors. Our guide prices are the same in Gravesend as elsewhere; what changes the cost is the doors themselves. Use our guide-price tool for a quick estimate.
Nearby areas we cover from Gravesend
Neighbouring towns such as Grays, Strood, South Ockendon and Stanford-le-Hope are covered too, so clients with several buildings can use one installer and one evidence format.
Common questions
Is Gravesend within your coverage area?
It is. We cover Gravesend in Kent and neighbouring towns such as Grays. There is no charge for the survey.
Do I need to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to give us access to the doors. For blocks and commercial buildings, a caretaker or site contact is fine; for HMOs and homes, we agree a time with you or your tenants.
Can communal fire doors be held open?
Only with a proper hold-open device that releases the door when the fire alarm operates. Wedges and hooks are not acceptable. Electromagnetic holders or free-swing closers are the usual solutions.
How often should communal fire doors be checked?
In England, every three months for residential buildings above 11 metres under regulation 10. Your fire risk assessment may set other frequencies for other buildings and nations.