This doesn't concern me personally, it's just something I wondered about
after watching Property Ladder last night where they were forced to
reintroduce a dividing wall between the kitchen and staircase because of
'fire regulations'

I've also seen mention on this programme along the lines of you must be able
to get out of the bedrooms to the main door without passing through other
habitable rooms.

Anyone have any ideas what the general jist of the building regs are in this
area? As I say I'm not particularly interested in the full details as I'm
not doing a development myself, just watching others on TV :-p

Anyone have any ideas what the general jist of the building regs are in
this
area? As I say I'm not particularly interested in the full details as I'm
not doing a development myself, just watching others on TV :-p

They depend greatly on the number of storeys, with a 3 storey or more house
requiring a protected stairwell that doesn't open onto other rooms unless
there are two independent escape paths. However, you can read them in all
their gory detail on the web site of the office of the deputy prime
minister. They are under the building regulations, under approved documents.
The legislation itself is pretty scanty. The approved docs is where the
action is at.

No idea if this link will work. If it does, you're looking for Part B.

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1130478

Christian.

On Wed, 7 Dec 2005 10:55:24 -0000, "Mark Hewitt"
wrote:

This doesn't concern me personally, it's just something I wondered about
after watching Property Ladder last night where they were forced to
reintroduce a dividing wall between the kitchen and staircase because of
'fire regulations'

I've also seen mention on this programme along the lines of you must be able
to get out of the bedrooms to the main door without passing through other
habitable rooms.

Anyone have any ideas what the general jist of the building regs are in this
area? As I say I'm not particularly interested in the full details as I'm
not doing a development myself, just watching others on TV :-p

As far as I know, it would not be a problem getting out through other
rooms, but a kitchen is seen as an area of increased risk and a place
where, quite rightly, a fire is likely to start.

My understanding is that the Fire Regs and their implementation have
become much sensible in recent years, taking into account likely risk
and things like what the room is used for etc.

On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 10:55:24 +0000, Mark Hewitt wrote:

I've also seen mention on this programme along the lines of you must be
able to get out of the bedrooms to the main door without passing through
other habitable rooms.


I asked exactly this question to the BCO of my Dad's LBA when we were
considering dividing his dormer conversion (bungalow) into two rooms
where the exit to stairs would be off one of the rooms and the exit from
the second room would be via the first.

He said that it was fine as long as the windows were such that they
constituted an escape route from the second room - he quoted required
dimensions of the window openings when open.

Obviously, check such matters with your own BCO if doing such work, it's
them that need convincing.


Tim

I asked exactly this question to the BCO of my Dad's LBA when we were
considering dividing his dormer conversion (bungalow) into two rooms
where the exit to stairs would be off one of the rooms and the exit from
the second room would be via the first.

Also, the situation in a dormer conversion of a bungalow is very different
from that of a dormer conversion in a previously 2 storey house. Each
additional storey adds additional restrictions, at least until you have 4
storeys.

Christian.

On Wed, 7 Dec 2005 10:55:24 -0000, a particular chimpanzee named "Mark
Hewitt" randomly hit the
keyboard and produced:

This doesn't concern me personally, it's just something I wondered about
after watching Property Ladder last night where they were forced to
reintroduce a dividing wall between the kitchen and staircase because of
'fire regulations'

Was this in a house with a loft conversion? If so, the stairs should
be enclosed (ie, not open to any room) from the door of the loft to
the front door (or to two separate escape routes on the ground floor),
and the doors fitted with self-closing devices, and all new doors must
be fire doors. There should also be an escape window or rooflight in
the new loft.

Property Ladder and other makeover shows are fairly inconsistent when
it comes to complying with the Building Regulations. There was one a
few weeks ago where they carried out a loft conversion that broke all
the rules (and looked like it might have buggered up the roof
structure), and nothing was mentioned.

I've also seen mention on this programme along the lines of you must be able
to get out of the bedrooms to the main door without passing through other
habitable rooms.

Correct, but if the rooms are on the first floor you can have an
open-plan layout provided that the first floor habitable rooms have
suitably-sized windows as an alternative escape.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"