Help me to understand fire regs in this situation

[Elwood_Blues]

Three storey house, top floor is in the loft. Both sets of staircases are fully open (one directly above the other). No fire doors anywhere in the building. A tiny landing (3' x 3') at the top of the 2nd floor stairs, with two loft rooms coming off it (both with doors, but not fire rated ones).

Only other consideration is that there is a kitchen with back door on the first floor (onto solid ground immediately outside), so there is an easy escape route on the first floor.

Been told that it doesn't currently comply with fire regs (not really surprising). How difficult would it be to make it comply, what would need to be done? Would it need to have both sets of stairs fully enclosed? Fire doors at top and bottom? Would it be sufficient to replace the loft bedroom doors with fire doors, or would it need another one between the 2nd floor landing and stairs (not physically possible)? Does the first floor landing need dividing up to make a protected escape route from the second floor?

As you can probably tell, I've no idea about this stuff, hope my description isn't too confusing/lacking!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Care to post a sketch of each floor plan, how old is the house, is the loft room original or done as a loft conversion, who said it doesn't comply? More answers for us before you'll get your answers .....

 

[Elwood_Blues]

Thought that might be the case. House is over 100 yrs old, loft conversion about 30 years old. Structural engineer says it most likely wouldn't comply (even to old standards). Sorry, haven't really got time to do sketches atm. Ground floor is completely open plan, external door to front and rear. Stairs come down in one corner. First floor landing runs around from top of one set of stairs to bottom of the next, with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen (rear extension) coming off.

 

[John D v2.0]

For regs now you'd either need fire doors on all habitable rooms onto the stairs to provide a protected escape route, or fire doors protecting the bottom floor from the first floor and escape windows from all rooms on the top floor onto the first floor ground level.
However if you read the docs it's more nuanced than that, and you can negotiate a good enough level of safety with the inspector that doesn't involve as much cost.
After 30 years there wouldn't be any enforcement though, but if course it's still not as safe as it would be. Why do you suddenly worry, are you buying/selling it or do you just want to make it safer?

 

[^woody^]

Been told that it doesn't currently comply with fire regs

Who told you and in what context?

You dont need to upgrade old buildings to modern standards under building regs, so presumably you are refferring to a different use and different regulations?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Sorry, haven't really got time to do sketches atm

Well until you can find some time there seems little point in us wasting any more of our own valuable time on this thread or it will just go nowhere like your first thread.