Fire protection for steel beams · Edinburgh
Fire protection for steel beams in Edinburgh
Calculations, approvals, propping, steel and making good for fire protection for steel beams across Edinburgh.
- Free survey visit in Edinburgh
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building warrant handled for you
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
What fire protection for steel beams involves in Edinburgh
Fire protection for steel beams is the layer of fire-rated board or intumescent coating applied to structural steel so it keeps its strength long enough in a fire for people to get out. Steel softens as it heats, so building regulations set a period of fire resistance for beams and columns, and the protection is chosen and applied to meet that period.
We carry out fire protection for steel beams throughout Edinburgh, for homeowners, landlords and builders who need the structural part done properly. We cover the whole area, from the centre out to the suburbs. You get an itemised written quote that shows the calculations, approvals, steel, labour and finishing as separate lines.
Things to plan for
- Building standards treats fire protection as part of the structural approval, not an optional extra. If unprotected steel is found at inspection, the completion certificate is normally held back until the protection is in place and has been checked.
- Steel does not burn, but it loses stiffness and strength as it heats. Protection is there to keep the temperature of the beam down for a set period, so the floor or walls it carries stay up while people leave.
- Exposed steel is popular in open-plan kitchens and loft spaces. An intumescent system can take a decorative top coat in most colours, although up close the finish has a slightly textured look compared with steel painted in a factory.
- Intumescent paint looks like an ordinary coating but swells into a thick insulating char when heated. How well it performs depends on the dry film thickness, which varies with the steel section and fire period, so it is applied to a written specification.
- Boxing is generally the lower-cost route for steel that will be hidden. Intumescent coatings cost more because of the product and the number of coats, and the price rises with the fire period and the size of the section.
Four stages, one team
Survey in Edinburgh
We visit, look at the wall and what sits above it, measure the opening and note services, access and how the steel can be brought in.
Engineer's design
A structural engineer sizes the beam, padstones and any posts, and sets out the temporary support needed while the wall is out.
Building warrant
A building warrant is applied for from City of Edinburgh Council, and work starts only once the warrant has been granted.
Install and sign-off
Props go in, the opening is formed, the steel is set and packed, building standards inspects it, and we make good.
Guide prices for fire protection for steel beams in Edinburgh
As a guide, budget £140–£550 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Edinburgh, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Scotland (-9%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fire protection to a steel beam | £140–£550 per beam | Fire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified |
| Steel column or post | £460–£1,360 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
| Steel beam replacement | £1,800–£5,000 | Propping, removing the failed beam, new steel on proper bearings, approval and making good |
| Plastering and making good | £270–£1,090 | Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in Scotland (-9%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Edinburgh
Scottish rules are stricter on timing than in England: the building warrant must be in place before the wall is touched. We prepare the application with the engineer's calculations and submit it to City of Edinburgh Council. The finished work is then certified and a completion certificate submitted for acceptance.
Scotland has no Party Wall Act. Work affecting a shared wall is governed by your title deeds and the general law, and in flats by the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, so it is sensible to agree the work with neighbours in writing before starting.
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Local questions answered
How much does fire protection for steel beams cost in Edinburgh?
As a guide, budget £140–£550 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Edinburgh, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Scotland (-9%). The exact figure depends on the span, what the wall carries, access and the finish, and is fixed in writing once the scope is agreed.
Do you cover Edinburgh for fire protection for steel beams?
Yes. We carry out fire protection for steel beams in Edinburgh. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.
Can I put downlights in a boxed-in steel beam?
Only with planning. Cutting holes in fire boarding can weaken its protection, so any lights in or near the boxing need to be designed in, using fire-rated fittings or suitable fire-stopping where the board is pierced. It is far easier to sort this out before the boxing goes up than to adapt it afterwards.
How thick does intumescent paint need to be on a steel beam?
There is no single figure. The thickness depends on the steel section, how many sides are exposed and the fire period required, and the coating manufacturer's data sets the dry film thickness for each case. The applied thickness is measured with a gauge once the coats have dried and recorded for building standards.
Does a steel column need fire protection as well as the beam?
Usually, if the column is part of the load path. A column carrying a beam is just as important in a fire, so it normally needs the same fire resistance. Columns are often boxed with board or coated with intumescent paint, and the engineer's design and building standards confirm what applies to yours.
Can I box in a steel beam with normal plasterboard?
Not where fire protection is required. Standard plasterboard is not designed to protect steel for a set period in a fire. Fire-rated plasterboard is used instead, fixed in the number of layers and with the fixings the system specifies, so the boxing performs as intended and passes when building standards checks it.
Who approves fire protection for steel beams in Edinburgh?
Structural work in Edinburgh needs a building warrant from City of Edinburgh Council, granted before work starts. We prepare and submit it with the structural engineer's calculations and arrange the inspections, so the completion paperwork follows the job.