Fire protection for steel beams · Greater Manchester
Fire protection for steel beams in Greater Manchester
Calculations, approvals, propping, steel and making good for fire protection for steel beams across Greater Manchester.
- Free survey visit in Greater Manchester
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control 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
Planning fire protection for steel beams in Greater Manchester
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.
Homes across Greater Manchester range from Victorian terraces to post-war semis and newer estates, and fire protection for steel beams looks different in each. We can survey in places such as Wigan, Rochdale and Salford and the villages around them. We plan the steel, the temporary support and the approvals around the building, then fix the price in writing once the scope is agreed.
Things to plan for
- Boarding is fairly clean work, but coatings need a clean, dry and well-ventilated room at a suitable temperature. Dust from other trades can spoil the surface, so painting is normally scheduled once the messy work in that room is finished.
- Older homes sometimes have steel fitted decades ago with no protection at all, or boxed in ordinary timber and hardboard. When this turns up during other work, we can check what is there and price protection to suit today's requirements.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How the job runs in Greater Manchester
Survey in Greater Manchester
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 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.
Install and sign-off
Props go in, the opening is formed, the steel is set and packed, building control inspects it, and we make good.
Guide prices for fire protection for steel beams in Greater Manchester
As a guide, budget £140–£580 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Greater Manchester, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North West (-4%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fire protection to a steel beam | £140–£580 per beam | Fire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified |
| Building control fees | £240–£620 | Building notice or full plans fee and inspections; varies by council or approver |
| Steel beam replacement | £1,900–£5,300 | Propping, removing the failed beam, new steel on proper bearings, approval and making good |
| Plastering and making good | £290–£1,150 | 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 the North West (-4%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Greater Manchester
In England, taking out a load-bearing wall or putting in a beam is building work under the Building Regulations 2010. It needs approval from building control, either the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver, through a full plans application or a building notice. Part A covers the structure and Part B covers fire safety, which is why steel in homes is usually fire protected.
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 by town
- Manchester
- Oldham
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
- Salford
- Rochdale
- Sale
- Bury
- Altrincham
- Middleton
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Leigh
- Stretford
- Urmston
- Chadderton
- Eccles
- Tyldesley
- Hyde
- Walkden
- Prestwich
- Radcliffe
- Cheadle Hulme
- Heywood
- Denton
- Stalybridge
- Ashton in Makerfield
- Westhoughton
- Farnworth
- Saddleworth
- Hindley
- Golborne
- Droylsden
- Whitefield
- Swinton
- Royton
- Atherton
- Dukinfield
- Failsworth
- Hazel Grove
Questions about fire protection for steel beams in Greater Manchester
How much does fire protection for steel beams cost in Greater Manchester?
As a guide, budget £140–£580 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Greater Manchester, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North West (-4%). 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.
Can I stay at home while the work is done in Greater Manchester?
Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.
Does a steel beam in a house need fire protection?
Usually, yes. Where a steel beam or column holds up part of the structure, building regulations normally require it to resist fire for a set period, commonly 30 minutes in a typical house. Building control confirms what is needed for your property, and the protection is checked before the work is signed off.
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.
What is intumescent paint for steel beams?
Intumescent paint is a fire-protective coating that swells when heated, forming a thick insulating layer that slows the steel heating up. It lets you leave a beam on show while still meeting fire requirements. It must be applied at a specified thickness over a compatible primer, so it goes on to a written specification rather than like ordinary paint.
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.