25+ years' experience
Decades of industry experience ensuring quality craftsmanship and reliability.
Nationwide projects
Delivering bespoke aluminium shop fronts to businesses across the UK.
Fast project completion
Efficient turnaround times to get your storefront ready without delays.
What Are Fire Rated Windows?
Fire rated windows are glazed units tested as a complete system (frame, glass, seals, fixings and hardware) to hold back fire for a set time, usually 30 or 60 minutes. They’re classified by how they perform: E stops flames and hot gases, EW also limits radiant heat, and EI also keeps the non-fire side cool enough to protect people and escape routes.
A common misconception is that the glass alone makes a window fire rated. It doesn’t. Put a fire rated pane in a standard frame and you have no rating at all. That’s why we always specify complete, tested systems rather than glass on its own.
Which Rating Does Your Project Need?
Your fire strategy or fire engineer will set the rating. We’ve put together the table below so you can check a specification or brief your team with confidence.
Under EN 13501-2, an EI unit keeps the average temperature rise on the protected side at or below 140°C, with no single point above 180°C. The number after the letters (30, 60) is the minutes the unit holds that performance in test.
When Do Commercial Windows Need to Be Fire Rated?
In England, Approved Document B sets out where fire-resisting glazing is needed in buildings other than dwellings. On commercial projects, the most common triggers are:
- Windows close to a site boundary, where the external wall is limited in how much unprotected area it can have.
- Glazing in compartment walls that separate one fire compartment from another.
- Glazed screens on escape routes, such as stair enclosures, lobbies and protected corridors.
- Windows in protected shafts and next to fire doors in the same screen.
Integrity-only (E) glazing has limits on escape routes. Where glazing meets both integrity and insulation (EI), Approved Document B places no restriction on how much glass you can use. Your building control body or fire engineer makes the final call, and we’ll always work to their specification.
If you’re working on a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act 2022, product specifications and test evidence form part of the golden thread of building information. Late substitutions need approval, so the system you specify needs to be the system that gets fitted. That’s why we fit exactly what’s been specified.
Fire Rated Window Options
We’ll tailor the frame, glass and hardware to your rating, opening sizes and the look you’re after. Send us your drawings and our team will recommend a tested system that suits your project.
Fire Rated Aluminium Windows
Slim aluminium frames are a great fit for shop fronts, offices and mixed-use schemes, and they can be powder coated to match the rest of your elevation. Aluminium is often the first choice where fire rated windows sit alongside aluminium shop fronts or curtain walling.
Fire Rated Steel Windows
Steel frames offer narrow sightlines, which makes them ideal for heritage-style frontages, industrial units and internal screens. They also pair well with Crittall-style doors on the same project.
Fixed and Openable Units
Most fire rated windows are fixed lights. If you need ventilation or a cleaning opening, the window must be a system tested in its opening configuration, with hardware that closes and holds it shut in a fire. Let our team know early if any units need to open, and we’ll factor it into your specification.
Glass Choices
These work similarly to bi-parting doors, except rather than folding in on themselves, the smaller leaves of the door ‘stack’, or slide in front of each other. They are ideal for smaller spaces where the door’s footprint needs to be minimal.
Fire Glazing Tailored to Your Project
We work with clients who need fire glazing that passes inspection first time:
- Main contractors and shopfitters: Supply-and-fit packages that work around your programme.
- Developers: Compliant external windows for tight urban plots and mixed-use schemes.
- Facilities and estates managers: Replacement of failed or non-compliant glazing in occupied buildings, with minimal disruption to your day-to-day operations.
- Architects and specifiers: Practical advice on systems, sizes and ratings at design stage.
What Evidence Should You Ask For?
Before you sign off any fire-rated window, ask your supplier for:
- The test or classification report for the exact system and configuration being fitted.
- Third-party certification details, where the system holds them.
- Glass and frame product data sheets.
- Installation details, including fixings and perimeter fire-stopping.
- Maintenance guidance for your O&M manual.
Just ask us about the evidence for any system we quote, and we’ll talk you through it before you order.
How We Delivery Your Project
Drawings and specification review
Send us your drawings, fire strategy or window schedule, and we’ll check the rating, sizes and configuration you need.
Site survey
Our team measures on site and confirms the structural openings and fixing substrate.
Quotation
You’ll receive a clear, itemised, no-obligation quote with lead times.
Fabrication
Your windows are made to the tested system specification.
Installation
Our experienced installers fit your windows to the manufacturer’s tested method, including fire-stopping at the perimeter.
Handover
We hand over all product and maintenance information for your records.
Why Contractors Choose London Shop Fronts
Based in East London, our established and experienced team delivers commercial glazing, shop fronts and doors to businesses across the UK.
- 25+ years’ experience in commercial glazing, shop fronts and doors
- 450+ projects completed across 35 industries
- Nationwide installation from our East London base
- One supplier for fire rated windows, fire rated doors, shop fronts and curtain walling, so the interfaces between packages are planned together
- Fully accredited: Constructionline Gold, CHAS, SSIP, Acclaim and Secured by Design
- Trusted by brands including Tesco, HSBC, Costa and Saint Mary’s Hospital
Get a No-Obligation Quote for Fire Rated Windows
Send us your drawings or window schedule and we’ll come back to you with a priced specification. Prefer to talk it through? Call our commercial team on 020 7112 9119 or email sales@londonshopfronts.org, and we’ll get to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference Between E, EW and EI Fire Rated Windows?
E windows stop flames and hot gases. EW windows also limit radiant heat passing through the glass. EI windows add full insulation, keeping the protected side below a 140°C average temperature rise. EI is the rating most often needed on escape routes and compartment walls, and our team can help you check which one your specification calls for.
When Does a Commercial Window Need to Be Fire Rated?
A commercial window usually needs a fire rating when it sits close to a site boundary, in a compartment wall, on a protected escape route or in a protected shaft. Approved Document B sets the rules in England. Your fire strategy or building control body confirms the rating for each opening, and we'll work to their specification.
Can Fire Rated Windows Be Opened?
Yes, some fire rated windows can open, but only systems tested in the opening configuration. They use hardware that closes and holds the sash shut in a fire, such as self-closing or automatic-closing mechanisms. A fixed window can't be converted to an opening one and keep its rating, so let us know early if you need ventilation.
Are Aluminium Windows Fire Rated?
Standard aluminium windows aren't fire rated. Dedicated fire rated aluminium systems are, when the frame, fire resistant glass, seals and fixings are tested together. Ratings such as EI30 or EW30 apply to the full tested assembly, not the frame alone.
What Paperwork Comes With Fire Rated Windows?
You should receive test or classification reports for the exact system fitted, product data sheets, third-party certification details where held, and installation records. On higher-risk buildings, this evidence forms part of the golden thread required by the Building Safety Act 2022. Just ask us about the evidence for any system we quote.
How Long Does a Fire Rated Window Last in a Fire?
A fire rated window holds its performance for the period in its classification, typically 30 or 60 minutes. An EI30 window, for example, keeps integrity and insulation for at least 30 minutes in a standard furnace test.
How Much Do Fire Rated Windows Cost?
Cost depends on the rating, the frame system, glass size and whether units open. EI glass costs more than integrity-only glass, and larger panes need heavier tested systems. Send us your drawings and we'll come back with a clear, itemised, no-obligation quote.
Do You Install Fire Rated Windows Outside London?
Yes. We're based in East London and install fire rated windows on commercial projects nationwide, across the UK.
