Hi All,
Please can I ask for your opinion on a property which is a 2 storey flat which sits above a commercial unit (shop)?
High street property is built in 1800's. Standard construction (Brick, timber floors, etc). Plasterboard ceiling separates shop and flat above. Alarm in shop is also linked to sounder in flat. The flat is found on first and second floor levels. There is one doorway to access the flat.
The entrance to the flat is found to the rear of the property and is accessible via a steel external stairway and small flat roof area. The door at first floor also serves as the only external door opening to fresh air. BUT, it also opens directly in to the kitchen! So, tenants (a young family with autistic child) are understandably worried they have to pass through the kitchen to escape.
We are prepared to tell the landlord we need to reconfigure the flat to avoid occupants having to go through the kitchen, but looking at all options, would you commonly accept an escape window on the first floor level on the first floor as long as it meets the standard requirements of size (450mm x 450mm) and is no more than 4.5m from ground level? The second floor is the mum and dads bedroom and they can travel down to the first floor to access the escape window which is in the living room / lounge and drops down to the high street pavement level.
In addition to the escape window, we are looking at fitting FD30s door-set to kitchen and increase alarm coverage to LD2 category.
But would under any circumstances you accept a kitchen as an access room to the exit?? Suppression system maybe??
Any steer / advice always appreciated and comments taken on board.
Escape Windows - residential flat
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- Paul1979
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Escape Windows - residential flat
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Re: Escape Windows - residential flat
Domestic fire safety.issues that relate to a means of escape within a flat (as opposed to fron common area) is not an area I specialise in.
Escape windows for lofts are not recommended by building regs now, so I cannot see one being permitted here . As for escape through a kitchen, that was not allowed , but u see a number of modern single level flats where bedrooms are accessed from the kitchen
Is the behaviour of the child likely to raise the risk of fire? If so, it might be the case that it's inappropriate to rent this property
Escape windows for lofts are not recommended by building regs now, so I cannot see one being permitted here . As for escape through a kitchen, that was not allowed , but u see a number of modern single level flats where bedrooms are accessed from the kitchen
Is the behaviour of the child likely to raise the risk of fire? If so, it might be the case that it's inappropriate to rent this property
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Re: Escape Windows - residential flat
Hi messy, the window we are looking at using for means of escape is on first floor and is less than 4.5m in height from pavement level at front. Looking at the new ADB volume 1 this appears satisfactory?
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Re: Escape Windows - residential flat
Might be fine for an office staffed with able-bodied adults.
In this case, I cannot see a way to safely drop a child 4.5m onto a concrete pavement. Having watched a number of 1800s tenements with shops on ground floor levels go up VERY quickly in Glasgow over the last few years, I wouldn't be happy with the residents waiting for the FRS either.
So personally, I don't think I could condone it, even if it's technically allowed.
In this case, I cannot see a way to safely drop a child 4.5m onto a concrete pavement. Having watched a number of 1800s tenements with shops on ground floor levels go up VERY quickly in Glasgow over the last few years, I wouldn't be happy with the residents waiting for the FRS either.
So personally, I don't think I could condone it, even if it's technically allowed.
We often think that when we have completed our study of one we know all about two, because 'two' is 'one and one.' We forget that we still have to make a study of 'and.'