If you manage a commercial premises, a care home, a school, or even a busy retail unit in Hull, chances are you rely on automatic doors every single day. Most of the time they just work — quietly and reliably doing their job. But a new industry-wide initiative from the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) has highlighted something worth knowing about: the challenge of safely retrofitting automation to fire-rated doors.
ADSA has brought together leading manufacturers and industry experts to tackle a growing technical question — when you add automation to an existing fire door, how do you make sure it still performs properly in an emergency? It turns out that modifications like installing door operators or routing cables can affect the fire performance of the door if not done correctly. That’s why ADSA and its partners are now carrying out controlled testing to build a proper evidence base and produce clear guidance for engineers and building owners.
This matters because fire doors aren’t just a box-ticking exercise. They’re a crucial part of a building’s safety design. Automating them is often the right call — it improves accessibility, helps manage footfall and makes buildings more inclusive — but only if it’s done by someone who understands both the automation side and the fire safety requirements.
The good news is that full door replacement isn’t always necessary. With the right approach and expertise, it’s often possible to retrofit automation while maintaining fire integrity. But this does need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis by a knowledgeable professional.
If you’re thinking about automatic doors in Hull — whether for a new installation, a service or a retrofit to an existing door — Gem Automatic Doors have the expertise to advise you properly. Visit gemautomaticdoors.com/ to find out more about their full range of services across Hull and the surrounding area.