Joining 2 flats and fire doors
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:14 am
Dear H&Sfor beginners,
I live in a 2nd floor flat (Flat 3) of a share of freehold Victorian conversion house. There is a ground floor flat (Flat 1), a first floor flat (Flat 2), mine (Flat 3) and the top one (Flat 4).
I am buying Flat 4, directly upstairs from ours. The two entrance doors are next to each other in a right angle, and Flat 4 door leads directly to the stairs, that are internal in the flat. Nobody else will go beyond the 1st floor apart from us. Please do refer to the attached document for clarity.
I want to open the stud wall shown in the attached document (shown as a discontinued red line) between Flat 3's corridor and Flat 4's landing. The council person I spoke to is telling me that I should submit a Building Notice with this:
1. That I have to install a FD60S fire door self-closing within the compartment wall between flats 3 and 4.
2. AND: "You should also note that the new proposed door should open into flat 3 and not flat 4, as it would restrict the already limited space as shown on the plans you have provided".
I did not get the impression that the person advising was a fire expert, and I wonder:
1. if this is correct? (that I need to install a fire door on the first place, being a private property, maybe other measures could be taken like alarms would suffice?)
2. I find the 2nd point particularly strange, as the Flat 4 entrance door will be permanently closed. It does not make sense to open the door towards a corridor, instead of towards a wall? What do you think?
3. If this was correct: could I install a fire door that opens to both sides?
Many thanks and regards
di
I live in a 2nd floor flat (Flat 3) of a share of freehold Victorian conversion house. There is a ground floor flat (Flat 1), a first floor flat (Flat 2), mine (Flat 3) and the top one (Flat 4).
I am buying Flat 4, directly upstairs from ours. The two entrance doors are next to each other in a right angle, and Flat 4 door leads directly to the stairs, that are internal in the flat. Nobody else will go beyond the 1st floor apart from us. Please do refer to the attached document for clarity.
I want to open the stud wall shown in the attached document (shown as a discontinued red line) between Flat 3's corridor and Flat 4's landing. The council person I spoke to is telling me that I should submit a Building Notice with this:
1. That I have to install a FD60S fire door self-closing within the compartment wall between flats 3 and 4.
2. AND: "You should also note that the new proposed door should open into flat 3 and not flat 4, as it would restrict the already limited space as shown on the plans you have provided".
I did not get the impression that the person advising was a fire expert, and I wonder:
1. if this is correct? (that I need to install a fire door on the first place, being a private property, maybe other measures could be taken like alarms would suffice?)
2. I find the 2nd point particularly strange, as the Flat 4 entrance door will be permanently closed. It does not make sense to open the door towards a corridor, instead of towards a wall? What do you think?
3. If this was correct: could I install a fire door that opens to both sides?
Many thanks and regards
di