Loft Conversion Fire Door On New Stairs

[craig1234]

I am looking to undertake a loft conversion and wish to minimise the space taken up by new stairs leading to the loft. My intention is to construct new stairs within a corridor that I will create from part of an existing bedroom which will become the bathroom. The existing stairs lead directly from the main entrance and the two rooms either side (at ground level) will have fire rated doors. Upstairs, there is a bedroom to the right which will have a fire rated door and to the left there is a corridor with access to the new bathroom (no need for a fire rated door I believe) and at the end of the corridor will be a bedroom which will have a fire rated door. So, I would like to construct my loft stairs parallel with the existing i.e. walk up the exsiting stairs and turn left to proceed up to the loft. My question is, do I need to put a fire rated door at the bottom of my new "stair" corridor. If so then I would need to set my stairs back into the room which causes some issue as the room is not particularly wide. Alternatively, can the fire rated door (if I do actually need one) go at the top of the stairs where they enter the actual loft conversion? As another altrenative, is it possible/permissiable to have sliding fire rated doors?

 

[Nakajo]

Pocketing fire-rated doors are available. Portman and Eclisse are two names that spring to mind. Without a plan, I'd struggle to suggest a solution in this instance, but others here seem to manage just fine. You might also consider mist-type fire-suppression systems - but this only works where the BCO/AI is on board with these sorts of solutions.

 

[^woody^]

Door can be top or bottom

 

[Leofric]

You might also consider mist-type fire-suppression systems

Do you really want this sort of thing in a house Go for the protected escape route with fire doors as required under bldg. regs. I am not sure of the layout from the description.

 

[Nakajo]

Me? I do. It's amazingly effective, very discreet, and doesn't destroy the property in the process of protecting it.

 

[Leofric]

Me? I do. It's amazingly effective, very discreet, and doesn't destroy the property in the process of protecting it.

I have always managed to comply with fire safety by conventional means, although sometimes building control accepted addition fire detection measures as a way of complying , but to be honest I don't actually have any experience of your mist-type fire-suppression systems in dwellings so I bow to your superior knowledge on this one.

 

[^woody^]

Misters are not always suitable for all property layouts. Ok for open plan areas and typically flats on one level, but not so much for several rooms and halls/corridors.

 

[Nakajo]

Yep, use Madams in those instances.