Understanding the Fire Regulations within the home environment can be quite daunting but as everything else its mainly down to common sense and a few pointers.
The building regulations Part B (Fire Safety) altered on 18th December 2006 and came into force on 6th April 2007. This will affect future building works in England and Wales, such as the erection or material change of a building and how the fire safety is designed into a building.
For non domestic buildings, the key changes include the introduction of a maximum unsprinkled compartment size for single storey warehouses, new guidance on residential care homes and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are aware of their buildings fire protection.
Generally if you have a new house (don't we all) you do not have to worry about the fire standards as they all tend to comply with current standards.
One point that you should remember is that everything should be designed and built to achieve 30 minutes fire protection. This is enough time for people to escape from the house. A 12.5mm thick plasterboard on a stud wall meets this requirement which is pretty much bog standard stuff.
So if alterations occur to a flat, terrace homes, B@B, Guest house etc then stricter guidelines and controls are enforced especially about party walls, compartmental floors and walls and it does get a bit complicated.
SMOKE ALARMS
All new homes should have the basic smoke detectors (mains operated) with battery backup. Any alterations to an older houses ie extension the these basic fire safety improvement will be implemented at the same time to bring you up to modern standards. The guideline calls for a smoke detector on each floor and 3 metres from all bedrooms. This was upgraded in April 2007 to meet higher standards set out in BS 5839 which calls for detectors in kitchens and living rooms as well. So generally smoke detectors are fitted in the hall and landings and heat detectors are fitted in kitchens and Optical detectors in living rooms. Optical detectors are used due to the smoke from an open fire (who has them now?). All this is in accordance with BS 5839 and should be designed by a specialist.
Do not forget that if you have a gas boiler sited within your bedroom then fit a monoxide detector as well to safeguard all people sleeping in that room.
Bedrooms need to have a means of escape window . This is now defined as having an openable sash having a clear opening of not less than 0.33 square metres and the bottom of the window being not more than 1100mm above the floor
LOFT CONVERSIONS
ESCAPE PATHS
There must be a protected escape route all the way from the loft all the way down to the ground floor exit door. This route or protected corridor must achieve half hour fire protection. So if your stairs are traditionally sited having closed rooms off all the way to the hallway then this requirement already complies. It gets complicated when the stairs are not off the hallway but are within the living room or open plan. All this will be determined by your designer.
DOORS
Prior to April 2007 all habitable doors along the escape route were fitted with door closers, but all that has now changed.
Nowadays all doors must achieve a 20 minute fire protection. So doors generally will have to be changed to FD20 door. This is all habitable doors and not wc or bathroom doors. If doors have glass fitted then these will have to be changed to solid doors of pyro glass fitted. These new fire doors are to control the spread of smoke or fire so that the occupiers can escape and buy enough time until the fire crew arrive.
If however you live in a listed building and can not change the doors then there are materials and paints that can upgrade the existing doors to satisfy the fire officer.
LOFT STAIRS
The stairs must also achieve a fire rating of 30 minutes to protect the occupiers on their escape.. There must also be a fire door fitted at the top of the stairs having the stairs open, or to enclose the stairs and have the fire door fitted at the bottom of the stairs.
FLOOR
The existing attic ceiling which will be upgraded to the loft floor will also need to achieve half hour fire resistance. If the existing ceiling is of 12.5mm plasterboard then all is OK but if you live in an old house (as I do) then the ceiling will more than likely be lath and plaster and will NOT meet the required fire protection and will need be be upgraded
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