Fire door required?

BB.

Hi there,

I would be grateful for some advice. I own a ground floor flat in a converted Edwardian house. There is one more flat upstairs and we share a hallway from front door to our flats. Our managing agent has requested that we check if our flats’ front doors conform to fire door regulations such as 3 hinges, 44 mm thickness and self closing mechanism etc. If not, we are to replace them and let them know, in writing once this is completed, in 60 days or we will be paying a fine and then more fines every two weeks until resolved. 

I wonder whether this actually applies to our house which is less than 11 m high and is not a block of flats or a HMO, and why this was never mentioned before? I know of lots of other similar properties that don’t have self closing fire doors… 

If we do need to replace our door, I worry this may take more than 60 days if this is a new requirement, as the tradesmen will be very busy! Can the managing agent actually charge us if we have a reasonable excuse? 

As always I will be most grateful for your advice. 

BB.

Doozergirl

I don't think self closing is a requirement (it used to be) but fire doors are a requirement in any three storey house and certainly in flats - there are fireproofing regulations between all dwellings.

I can't answer your question on the fines.  It does sound a bit extreme.  I think you would need to check your lease.    

grumbler

Doozergirl said:

but fire doors are a requirement in any three storey house 

I thought this was only along the way of escaping ftom the top floor. Am I mistaken? 

Doozergirl

grumbler said:

Doozergirl said:

but fire doors are a requirement in any three storey house 

I thought this was only along the way of escaping ftom the top floor. Am I mistaken? 

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  

All habitable rooms in a three storey house need fire doors because in reality, pretty much all doors to habitable rooms open out onto the main hallway.  

A flat is not a house.  Flats have different rules but the premise of the protected escape
route remains.  

Two storey flats have different rules to higher ones but they all work around fire doors to the protected escape - front doors, the number increasing to further protect routes as buildings get larger.  

The OP lives on the ground floor so should have escape windows and a fire door.  I do not believe that their door needs a self closer but regs have been tightened on flats recently and I'm still trying to get my head around houses.  

This is a conversion and we don't  know when it was carried out, so goodness knows what the other protection between the flats is like.   Little point in a 30 min fire door at the front if there's virtually nothing between floors.   As we all found in 2017 😢

Getferret

I live in a link detached terraced house (2 storey) with garage, the only access to the rear of the property is through the front door or garage door.  

In 2020 I converted the back half of garage to a utility room leaving front of garage as a “shed”. 

Building control said I must have a fire door between the garage door and utility room.  

Builder installed correct door and auto close with only two hinges.  When inspected and was told door must have three hinges not two. Contact your local building control office. 

Doozergirl

Getferret said:

I live in a link detached terraced house (2 storey) with garage, the only access to the rear of the property is through the front door or garage door.  

In 2020 I converted the back half of garage to a utility room leaving front of garage as a “shed”. 

Building control said I must have a fire door between the garage door and utility room.  

Builder installed correct door and auto close with only two hinges.  When inspected and was told door must have three hinges not two. Contact your local building control office. 

A self closer is required between garage and house, as well as a change in floor level, because the risk is significant.  

How your builder didn't know they needed three hinges on a heavy door is beyond me.  

travis-powers

The only way to tell if your door is a fire door is to look on the top there should be a sticker with the rating on it you should also have intumescent strips either in the frame or in the door.

grumbler

Doozergirl said:

grumbler said:

Doozergirl said:

but fire doors are a requirement in any three storey house 

I thought this was only along the way of escaping ftom the top floor. Am I mistaken? 

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  

All habitable rooms in a three storey house need fire doors because in reality, pretty much all doors to habitable rooms open out onto the main hallway.  

Not sure about the first floor, but not all doors on the ground floor open onto the escape root. In the OP's case it's the most remote door in the hallway. This door can protect the flat, but not the escape root.

Doozergirl

grumbler said:

Doozergirl said:

grumbler said:

Doozergirl said:

but fire doors are a requirement in any three storey house 

I thought this was only along the way of escaping ftom the top floor. Am I mistaken? 

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  

All habitable rooms in a three storey house need fire doors because in reality, pretty much all doors to habitable rooms open out onto the main hallway.  

Not sure about the first floor, but not all doors on the ground floor open onto the escape root. In the OP's case it's the most remote door in the hallway. This door can protect the flat, but not the escape root.

I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.  Are you trying to help the OP or do you have your own question about your house? 

Houses and flats are different.  I've never said any different and I've also been quite specific.  

The OP's front door is in a shared hallway.  Their front door forms part of the protected stairwell for upstairs, no question.  

grumbler

I'm questioning the competence of the 'managing agent'  that "requested that we check if our flats’ front doors conform to fire door regulations such as 3 hinges, 44 mm thickness and self closing mechanism etc. "

Unless it was a typo this means both flats, not just the 'front' one.

But again, I know nothing about flats.

Doozergirl

grumbler said:

I'm questioning the competence of the 'managing agent'  that "requested that we check if our flats’ front doors conform to fire door regulations such as 3 hinges, 44 mm thickness and self closing mechanism etc. "

Unless it was a type this means both flats, not just the 'front' one.

But again, I know nothing about flats.

You've lost me.  

Does 'type' mean 'typo'?! 

Both flat front doors protect the escape of the other because it keeps the fire contained in either flat and not the hall.  Both flat front doors should be fire doors.