Frequently asked questions

• fire safety FAQs
  • Can you combine fire safety works with refurbishment?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors delivers both fire safety and refurbishment services, allowing related works to be considered together where appropriate.

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  • Can fire safety works be carried out while a building is in use?
    We can plan works around operational requirements and site access. How this is managed will depend on the building, the work involved and the agreed programme. Our projects page includes feedback on fire door works delivered with minimal operational disruption.

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  • What fire safety services does RS Specialist Contractors provide?
    Our fire safety work includes fire doors, passive fire protection, compartmentation and remedial works. The exact scope depends on the issues identified at your building.

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  • Can you repair or replace fire doors?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors can assess, repair and replace fire doors and associated components where this forms part of a required fire-safety improvement programme. This may include door leaves, frames, seals, ironmongery, closers, glazing and signage, depending on the condition of the existing installation.

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  • Why is fire stopping important in a building?
    Fire stopping helps maintain the fire resistance of walls, floors and other compartment lines after pipes, cables, ducts or other services pass through them. Without suitable protection, gaps around penetrations can allow fire and smoke to spread more quickly between rooms, floors or escape routes.

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  • What fire-safety works can RS Specialist Contractors carry out?
    RS Specialist Contractors provides practical fire-safety improvement works within existing buildings, including fire-door installation and repairs, compartmentation works, fire stopping, sealing of service penetrations and associated remedial works. These measures help reduce the spread of fire and smoke through a building.

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• refurbishment FAQs
  • Do you undertake smaller refurbishment projects?
    Yes. Our work ranges from single-room rectifications to multi-phase refurbishment programmes We work with public sector, institutional and commercial clients, including schools, colleges, universities and commercial sites.

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  • Can you carry out refurbishment works in an occupied building?
    Yes. We plan works with the building’s use in mind and consider how to minimise disruption, including where a phased approach is appropriate. The programme and access arrangements depend on the project.

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  • Do you manage the whole refurbishment project?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors can manage the refurbishment process from initial survey and scope development through to delivery, quality checks and handover. This gives you one accountable contractor rather than needing to coordinate several individual trades.

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  • Can refurbishment work be completed while our building is in use?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors can plan refurbishment projects in phases so that workplaces, communal areas and other occupied buildings can remain operational where practical. We work with you to agree access arrangements, working hours, segregation, noise controls and safe routes for occupants.

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  • What types of refurbishment projects do you undertake?
    RS Specialist Contractors delivers refurbishment work for commercial, residential, education, healthcare and public-sector properties. This can range from upgrading individual rooms and common areas to complete internal refurbishments, repairs and improvements.

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• new builds FAQs
  • Do you work with architects, building control and other consultants?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors works alongside architects, surveyors, structural engineers, building-control teams and specialist consultants to deliver new-build projects in line with the approved design and applicable requirements. Early coordination helps avoid delays, reduce changes on site and ensure that construction details are properly understood before work begins.

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  • Can RS Specialist Contractors manage a new-build project from start to finish?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors can manage new-build works from early planning and site preparation through to construction, testing, snagging and handover. This gives clients one coordinated point of contact for the delivery of the project.

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  • What types of new-build projects does RS Specialist Contractors undertake?
    RS Specialist Contractors delivers new-build construction projects for residential, commercial, education, healthcare and public-sector clients. We can support anything from smaller standalone buildings and extensions through to larger multi-trade developments, depending on the project requirements.

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• decarbonisation FAQs
  • Can decarbonisation work be carried out in occupied properties?
    Yes. Many decarbonisation upgrades can be delivered in occupied homes, workplaces and public buildings with careful planning. RS Specialist Contractors can phase the works, communicate clearly with occupants and manage access, protection, dust, noise and temporary disruptions to services.

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  • What improvements can reduce a building’s energy use?
    Common energy-efficiency improvements include insulation upgrades, draught reduction, replacement windows and doors, LED lighting, improved heating controls, pipework insulation and ventilation improvements. Fabric-first measures are often important because they reduce heat loss before major changes are made to heating systems.

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  • What is decarbonisation in a building project?
    Building decarbonisation means reducing the carbon emissions associated with operating a property, mainly by lowering energy demand and moving away from fossil-fuel-based heating or inefficient building systems. It commonly involves improving insulation, airtightness, heating controls, lighting, ventilation and low-carbon technologies.

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• building compliance FAQs
  • Do you work with building-control requirements?
    Yes. Where building-control approval, inspection or notification is required, RS Specialist Contractors can work within the agreed design and construction process to support compliance. Requirements vary according to the nature, scale and location of the work, so they should be considered before work begins.

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  • Can you help after a building survey identifies defects?
    Yes. RS Specialist Contractors can turn survey findings, condition reports, fire-risk assessments and compliance recommendations into a clear programme of remedial works. We can help clarify what needs to be addressed, prioritise urgent issues and deliver the agreed works on site.

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  • What does building compliance mean for an existing property?
    Building compliance means ensuring that a property and any planned works meet relevant legal, safety and technical requirements. For existing buildings, this can involve matters such as fire safety, accessibility, structural condition, ventilation, energy performance, asbestos management and the standards that apply to refurbishment or alteration work.

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