Building Regulations: Fire Doors on bathrooms

[scottk]

Hi,

First post so be gentle! We have just had a loft conversion to a standard 1930's bay fronted semi. The staircase fits on the existing landing to which there are 3 bedroom doors and a bathroom.

To the 3 bedrooms we have fitted new 30 min fire doors with new door stops, but no inrumescent strips or fire closers (no longer needed apparently). The ground floor has a lounge, open plan kitchen and downstairs toilet. The two main rooms have also been fitted with FD30 as upstairs.

Building control came out today and said we also needed a FD on the first floor bathroom and I cannot see anything in the regs which says this is necessary. "Apparently" people put candles in there and so therefore its now in scope. Are we getting bad advice here or has their been a recent change in the regs?

I dont want to spend money for the sake of it, and we never have candles in there (understand that someone may buy house in future). Seems very daft to me that you can leave a door open on a fire corridor (no closers) yet you have to place a FD on a bathroom where the risk of fire is extremely low (nothing combustable in the room!)

Thoughts please?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I don't think this is specifically in the regs. Technically I believe that it is down to the individual inspector as the regulations allow for individual judgement. Having said that it is most unusual, I do not personally recall ever having to fit a fire door to a bathroom following a lofty. Unless you can persuade him otherwise I think you will have to go with his judgement. Alternatively you could consider speaking to his superior although this may give you more grief on other things and his superior may automatically side with him anyway.

 

[scottk]

Thanks FreddyMercurysTwin, I was thinking that we would just go with it unless there was a fairly clear "you dont need one". Annoying thing is that we have a candle in there but its never been unwrapped - more ornamental than anything else....she must have seen it, doh!

thanks for your reply...off to buy that new fire door...