Loft conversion - fire regulations query

martinsurrey

monty-doggy wrote: »

Why not? It's been done to a good standard. Has 3 windows a staircase and a fire door?i

*sigh*

Because to pass building control fire regulations a loft conversion needs one of the following (assuming its a standard height house, bungalows are different).

1) A protected staircase, which means a hallway from the loft to the outside and EVERY door onto this hallway, MUST be a 30 min fire door (on every level).

2) 2 separate staircases to the loft that are separated by fire resistant materials

3) A fire door on the access to the loft AND a fixed means of escape from the loft that ISNT a window, so something like a fire regulation external staircase.


Read the linked Approved document if you don’t believe me.
These have been tinkered with but are pretty much the same as they always have been.

The standard of the work is not relevant if the correct work hasn’t been done.

Tirian

Yup, this is pretty much what our guy said.

I don't really understand why a window exit from the loft room isn't good enough. Especially for a terrace house - where you could go straight out the window and leg it along the terrace. Seems potentially much safer than trying to plunge down two sets of potentially smoke filled hallways and staircases ...

... but, the regs are what they are. Cellar conversion company is now booked to come round to advise what can be done with our basement.

dumpy

Because falling from height from the roof level is a significant risk especially if you are panicing/it's dark/frosty and unless you have good neighbours who can let you in via their roof how do you get down?

The stair well shouldn't be full of smoke as the fire doors onto the protected stair case will keep the smoke in the rooms and give you a safe route out of the building. Hence why it's called a protected staircase.

Tirian

Frankly if I can get the length of the terrace - or even onto the next roof, that's enough to give time for someone to get a ladder up, or for fire services to arrive. Accept there is a danger of falling, but we are talking about a dangerous situation. Once there's a fire in the house, there are dangers in every option - including the "protected staircase" option.

I've seen some fire doors in other houses I've visited, and unless there are new requirements for fire doors the ones I have soon would not stop smoke from entering the protected staircase, though they might reduce it.

And, of course, if the fire starts in the protected staircase/hallway area then you're scuppered anyway.

dumpy

A fire door is one that will hold back smoke and flames for 30 minutes. If it doesn't do that, it's not a fire door.

Good job it's really easy to get hold of a ladder that will reach a roof and there will be people on the ground who can rescue you and that you and all the people who could potentially live in this house are fit and active enough and don't have a fear of heights.

A protected staircase shouldn't have anything on it that could burn and your fully working and numerous smoke alarms in all areas will alert you to an fire in order for you to escape quickly,

Tirian

Are you serious? We are talking about a residential house here. I'd like to see any residential property that, in reality and under normal living circumstances, doesn't have anything in the staircase and hallway areas that could burn in it. Our staircase is made of wood! It also has carpet on it.

Our landing is home to a bookcase, a wardrobe, a towel cupboard and a filing cabinet on which sits a printer and a paper recycling box. The downstairs hallway has a fully laden coat stand by the door. This is called normal life.

Are you seriously saying that to create a "protected staircase" we'd also have to remove all of that??

Because if so, then this is even more mumbo jumbo than I thought!!

Browntoa

weird quirk of the current regs is the need to have fire doors in the loft but no auto closers ( which is compulsory on an internal garage door) so if you leave the door open its a waste of time ...

Dave_the_Ginger_Cat

If this has been mentioned further down, please forgive me

I had the same issue, loft conversion, original lovely doors.

I asked my buildings inpsector what stately homes and the like did as they must want to retain period features. It is acceptable to have the existing doors painted in fire retartdant paint, and to have a building control certificate issued. If I remember right, the paint was supplied by http://www.thermoguarduk.com/, and my builder issued a certificate once complete. The paint isn't cheap, but it's way cheaper than having doors replaced and you'll keep your period features

I do wish my builder had been helpful on this - it took me talking to building control to ask their recommendation to sort

Tirian

Thanks Dave - that's v helpful. Did any of your doors include stained glass panes? That's the feature that I'd be most concerned about losing to be honest, as it is a feature of the house as a whole with other doors and windows also having period stain glass - was a big attraction for us (and also the landing would be veeery dark if we lose those panes!!

I'll look into it, but I guess I'm not hugely optimistic that a paint/varnish solution would satisfy building control for doors with a old glass panes in ...

Dave_the_Ginger_Cat

Mine were just wood, but I am sure there's a solution out there - public and stately homes which have such features must have got this through building control.