Fire protection for steel beams · Bath
Fire protection for steel beams in Bath
Steelwork, approvals and making good for fire protection for steel beams in Bath and nearby.
- 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
What fire protection for steel beams involves in Bath
Planning fire protection for steel beams in Bath? Our team covers BA1 and BA2 and the streets around them. We also cover the surrounding towns and villages in Somerset. You get one written quote for the calculations, approvals, propping, steel and making good.
A bare steel beam is strong at room temperature but loses much of its load-carrying capacity once it gets hot enough in a fire. If that beam holds up a floor or the walls above, it matters to everyone in the building. Fire protection slows the rate at which the steel heats up, buying time for people to get out safely.
Things to plan for
- 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.
- Building control 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How the job runs in Bath
Survey in Bath
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 Bath and North East Somerset Council, 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.
What does fire protection for steel beams cost in Bath?
As a guide, budget £150–£620 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Bath, 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 |
| Building control fees | £260–£670 | Building notice or full plans fee and inspections; varies by council or approver |
| RSJ supply and fit (single beam) | £820–£2,580 per beam | Beam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately) |
| Steel column or post | £520–£1,540 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Bath
Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. Bath and North East Somerset Council can deal with it, or you can use a registered building control approver. Either way the steel is inspected before it is covered, and a completion certificate is issued at the end. Keep it safe for when you sell.
Terraced and semi-detached homes often need party wall notices, because cutting into a shared wall to take a beam end is notifiable under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Allow at least two months for the notice period unless your neighbour agrees sooner.
Fire protection for steel beams near Bath
- Trowbridge 7.7 mi
- Kingswood 8.3 mi
- Mangotsfield 9.9 mi
- Frome 10.3 mi
- Yate 11.7 mi
- Chippenham 11.8 mi
Fire protection for steel beams in Bath: your questions
Can you work on older or listed homes in Bath?
Yes. Older homes often have lime mortar, timber lintels or shallow footings, which the engineer allows for. Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal structural changes as well as building regulations approval, and that must be in place first.
Who approves fire protection for steel beams in Bath?
Structural work in Bath needs a building notice or full plans application to Bath and North East Somerset Council or a registered building control approver. We prepare and submit it with the structural engineer's calculations and arrange the inspections, so the completion paperwork follows the job.
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.
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 control.
How much does fire protection for steel beams cost in Bath?
As a guide, budget £150–£620 per beam including VAT for fire protection to a steel beam in Bath, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%). 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.