Fire protection for steel beams · Tewkesbury
Fire protection for steel beams in Tewkesbury
Fire protection for steel beams for homes in GL20, designed by a structural engineer.
- Price fixed in writing once scope is agreed
- Building control arranged
- Temporary works and making good included
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
About our fire protection for steel beams service in Tewkesbury
For homes in Tewkesbury and the GL20 district, we handle fire protection for steel beams from survey to sign-off. Tewkesbury is around 7.2 miles from Cheltenham, and we cover both. The beam is sized by a structural engineer and inspected before it is boxed in.
We fit fire protection alongside new steelwork, and as a standalone job where steel was installed without it or building control has asked for more. That covers boxing with fire-rated plasterboard, intumescent coatings for steel left on show, and the records building control needs to see before signing the work off.
Worth knowing before you start
- Boxing a single beam usually takes around a day, plus skimming and drying. Intumescent coatings need each coat to dry before the next goes on, so they can take several days depending on the thickness required and the room temperature.
- 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.
- 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.
- A common fault is applying intumescent paint over the wrong primer, or over one of unknown type. The products must be compatible, so where steel was primed long ago the primer is identified or the surface is cleaned back before coating.
- The fire resistance needed depends on the building and where the steel sits. In a typical two-storey house, elements of structure commonly need 30 minutes, but taller homes, flats and commercial premises can need more. The engineer and building control confirm the figure.
How the job runs in Tewkesbury
Free visit
A short visit to Tewkesbury to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.
Calculations
The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.
Building control
We submit a building notice or full plans application to the local council's building control team, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.
Steel in, made good
On site we prop, open up, fit and pack the steel, then fire protect, box in and plaster once the inspection is done.
What does fire protection for steel beams cost in Tewkesbury?
As a guide, budget £150–£620 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Tewkesbury, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fire protection to a steel beam | £150–£620 per beam | Fire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified |
| Steel beam replacement | £2,050–£5,650 | Propping, removing the failed beam, new steel on proper bearings, approval and making good |
| Steel column or post | £520–£1,540 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
| Structural calculations for a beam | £260–£770 | Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Tewkesbury
For Tewkesbury, building control is provided by the local council's building control team, or by a registered building control approver if preferred. We send them the engineer's calculations with a building notice or full plans application and book the inspections. Work done without approval can cause problems at sale and is far dearer to put right later.
If the beam bears into a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange this through a party wall surveyor.
Fire protection for steel beams near Tewkesbury
- Cheltenham 7.2 mi
- Gloucester 9.4 mi
- Great Malvern 10.8 mi
- Evesham 11.3 mi
- Worcester 13.8 mi
- Stroud 16.8 mi
Fire protection for steel beams in Tewkesbury: your questions
Do I need a party wall agreement for fire protection for steel beams in Tewkesbury?
Yes, if the beam bears into a shared wall: the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange it through a party wall surveyor.
Do you cover Tewkesbury for fire protection for steel beams?
Yes. We carry out fire protection for steel beams in Tewkesbury and the GL20 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.
Will building control check the fire protection on my beam?
Yes. Building control looks at fire protection as part of the structural work, normally at or before the final inspection. For boxing they may want to see the board before it is skimmed, and for coatings they may ask for the product details and thickness readings. We keep these records ready for them.
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 control confirm what applies to yours.
Is boxing in a steel beam cheaper than intumescent paint?
Usually, yes. Boxing with fire-rated plasterboard tends to cost less for steel that will be hidden. Intumescent coatings generally cost more because of the product and the number of coats needed, but they let the beam stay visible. Where either method would work, both can be priced on the itemised quote so you can compare.
Do you also work near Tewkesbury?
Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Cheltenham, Gloucester, Great Malvern and Evesham.