Loft Conversion: Final Exit

[bpowell555]

Hi chaps

If you put in an escape velux and seal off the attic room with suitable half hour walls and self closing fire doors and mains fire detectors, do you still need to ensure the stairs exit at ground floor to a hall way leading to final exit AS WELL?



The stairs are in the middle of the house (two up two down) and to get to the front door you have to go through the sitting room, or else through the kitchen to the back door.. it would be a big redesign to first close off the kitchen in order to justify that rule. House is 1850s,

Cheers!

 

[masona]

Best to give BCO a ring for their free advice.

 

[bpowell555]

Have done - they seemed to say final exit must be to a hall - though the missus may have just been a bit rabbit in headlights talking about building ... doesn't look good though ...

 

[masona]

Generally speaking, the stairs exit should be in the hall area if possible because the hall is a lower risk if a fire started, mine is in the lounge area therefore must have a escape velux window on the front of the property approx 1.7m from the gutter for fireman easy access from a ladder.
Best to do a rough drawing of your plan and pop down to the BCO for a clearer picture, they are normally very helpful if you take a drawing with you.

 

[bpowell555]

Will give it a go - cheers!

 

[con1_uk]

Your setup is the same as mine and I had my plans passed. When you come down stairs you are led into either the front or back living room we have no hallway.

 

[chappers]

well your plans shouldn't have been passed, you must have a fire safe passage to a ground floor exit without passing through any habitable rooms. Your setup sounds similar to one i have just finished, we got round this by fitting a sprinkler system which must protect the escape route from first/ground stairway and downwards.
Bare in mind that you may have to upgrade your current watermain too.
The sprinkler system cost £1500 plus £600 to upgrade the water main

 

[masona]

The sprinkler system cost £1500 plus £600 to upgrade the water main

Chappers, can you tell more this type of system or any website?

 

[con1_uk]

Well they did question it and they said it was ok.

They did say I would need 2 firedoors at the bottom of the stairs.

 

[masona]

Well they did question it and they said it was ok.

They did say I would need 2 firedoors at the bottom of the stairs.

The rules must have altered then unless it varies in difference area(?), I don't have any fire doors, just a velux escape window with stairs to the lounge area and my property is a bungalow having said that, it was just over 10 yrs ago.

 

[Pat-UK]

@ Chappers too.

I was quoted nearly £4k for a sprinkler system, who was this through ???

Apparrently if your mains inlet is not big enough then you can opt for a storage tank and pump, not sure if this is cheaper than £600 but on the good side is you don't have mains pressure water pouring out of the activated sprinkler head for hours on end if your out when a fire starts. You only get a tank full of damage.

I didn't ever get as far as getting a quote for the tank option as the £4k put me off the idea.