Why is it better to renovate, rather than replace fire escapes?

Renovation is often better than replacement for these reasons: - A much lower cost. - It's hard to generalise but a typical replacement of a two storey fire escape will cost about £9,000 whereas a renovation might cost £3,000. - Less disruption. The renovation process is quieter and less disruptive to the building and its users; - A quicker renovation can often be organised within a couple of weeks whereas replacement may take 2-3 months