Fire Rated Halogens Required ????

[RichA]

FIRE HOODS - From the Sticky...

These hoods are not required in most domestic house situations. If the ceiling is in a flat and there is another flat above you, you must use fire hoods.

Not sure I understand this reg. Why does this differ to, say, a house where a bedroom is above a living room with spotlights?

I have a victorian terraced property with a ground floor flat and an upper flat incorporating first floor & loft conversion.

From interpreting the above:
- My ground floor flat needs fire rate spots in the kitchen as it has the bedroom of another flat above it.
- But does my upper flat need fire rate spots in the living room as the floor above is a loft bedroom from the same flat.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Steve]

AFAIK, there is no requirement for fire protection between the floors in a house.

However, between 2 flats there must be 30 mins to 1 hour fire protection, cant remember which.

Both of your situations require fire hoods, im afraid.

 

[pcboffinuk]

Rich,

As I understand things is the Building Regs relating to Fire Protection (Approved document B I believe) which are relavent here.

Crafty is right in that to prevent the sperad of fire, fire hoods are generally required between flats, because they count as seperate dwellings. However, in the second situation you mention, if I read it right in that the upper flat has two floors, the upper one being in the loft, then I don't believe you would need them between the floors.

You can download approved doc B from http://www.communities.gov.uk/ which may shed more light on things - or maybe you have a helpful local LABC department (its possible I guess ) who could advise.

In existing buildings, the main thing seems to be that any work you do should not degrade the existing protection on spread of fire.

Regards

Gavin

 

[RichA]

Ok. I think I understand.

This is the layout:

. . . . . . . . . . .========
Loft. . . . . . ./ . . . Bed+ . . . \
. . . . . . . . . ----------------------===== . . . . . . . . . . . Top Flat
First. . . . . .| Living | Kitchen | Bed+ |
. . . . . . . . .--------------------------------===== . . . . . ===
Ground. . . | Bedrm | Bedrm | Kitch | Living | . . . . . Bottom Flat
. . . . . . . . .----------------==============
Cellar. . . . | Basement |
. . . . . . . . .=========

Key:
----- Floor or ceiling
=== External floor or ceiling
Red Divide between top & bottom flat

I wish to have spots in Loft bedroom, Living x2 and Kitchen x2.

As I understand it I need:
- 60 min fire rated spots in g/floor kitchen.
- Normal spots in loft bedrm, 1/floor living & kitchen and g/floor living.

Please confirm.

Many many thanks.

 

[Steve]

yes that sounds about right. incidentally, thats not a bad layout, look at my cousins house: click for bigger picture.

(its on a hill, with the access to the bottom house, my cousin's, and the others on the terrace, being through a side gate, down some steps, and through the "back" garden. from the front, the road side, it looks like a normal terraced house)