Dunelm Manchester Fort: mezzanine fire ceiling and full suspended ceiling fit-out

Dunelm's Manchester Fort store required a full suspended ceiling installation as part of the new retail fit-out, with a fire-rated mezzanine underdraw as the critical-path element. Eastledge delivered the ceiling package across the trading floor and mezzanine, together with partition walls and firestopping, to programme.

The brief

A new Dunelm homewares store opening at Manchester Fort retail park. The store features a mezzanine level, and the soffit of that mezzanine required a fire-rated suspended ceiling to comply with building regulations and the store's fire strategy. This element was on the critical path: the fire ceiling had to be complete and inspected before other fit-out trades could progress beneath it.

Alongside the fire ceiling, the brief covered a full suspended ceiling installation across the ground-floor trading area, partition walls to create back-of-house areas and service spaces, and firestopping at penetrations through the compartment boundaries.

What we did

Fire-rated mezzanine underdraw

The mezzanine underdraw was the first element on programme. A fire-rated suspended ceiling was installed to the soffit of the mezzanine structure, providing the required fire resistance period between the ground floor and the mezzanine above. The system was specified to meet the fire strategy, with penetrations for services sealed and fire-stopped to maintain the integrity of the compartment.

Suspended ceiling throughout the trading floor

A mineral-fibre tile ceiling was installed across the ground-floor trading area on a proprietary exposed-grid system. Grid setting-out was coordinated with the lighting design and the M&E services layout so that tiles, lights and grilles aligned to the retail design intent. Perimeter details were kept clean to suit the Dunelm brand environment.

Partition walls and firestopping

Metal stud partition walls were installed to separate back-of-house areas, staff facilities and service spaces from the retail trading floor. Firestopping was applied at all service penetrations through rated walls and floors, documented for building control sign-off.

How we worked

Retail fit-out programmes are driven by the store opening date. At Manchester Fort, the mezzanine fire ceiling was the first priority because other trades were waiting behind it. Eastledge mobilised to that element first, completed the installation and fire-stop inspection, and then moved to the main floor ceiling and partition work concurrently with other fit-out contractors.

Material deliveries were timed to the programme so site storage stayed manageable in an active retail shell. The photography was taken after handover in June 2025 with the store ready for trading.

Outcome

A fully fitted retail environment for Dunelm at Manchester Fort, handed over on programme. The mezzanine fire ceiling was completed and inspected without delay to the overall fit-out programme, and the suspended ceiling across the trading floor gives the store the clean, bright finish that the Dunelm brand requires.

Related retail work: Redmoor Academy and more retail and commercial fit-out case studies coming soon.