Intumescent strips on 1st and 2nd floor bedroom doors

[Oddbod1]

My private building regs inspector (when analysing my architect's plans for the existing major renovation of our house), told him that it was not necessary to have intumescent strip on every door in the house esp the first and second floor bedroom landing but that it would be needed between the internal garage and the ground floor room connecting to it.

Do any of you have similar experiences or have your building inspectors required you to have these strips on fittings of new doors and linings? Is the situation any different for a complete brand new build?

Also should the strips be in the doors or the door frame/lining?

 

[Ian H]

The building inspector told my missus we need to change all ours as part of a loft conversion.

The ones I've seen are in the frame.

 

[Oddbod1]

You had to change all the first and second-floor door frames??! That must have been a big and costly job.
I presume then you also have FD30 doors also installed?

 

[Ian H]

I haven't changed them. I will fit fire doors but only change the frames if they insist on a future visit. I can't see the point, the doors are never shut.


The council seem inconsistant with a few things. We have a bedroom up 3 steps and we need a landing at the top but our neighbours plans passed without a landing.

 

[wessex101]

My private building regs inspector (when analysing my architect's plans for the existing major renovation of our house), told him that it was not necessary to have intumescent strip on every door in the house esp the first and second floor bedroom landing but that it would be needed between the internal garage and the ground floor room connecting to it.

Do any of you have similar experiences or have your building inspectors required you to have these strips on fittings of new doors and linings? Is the situation any different for a complete brand new build?

Also should the strips be in the doors or the door frame/lining?

Off the top of my head doors to upper floors in say a loft conversion only need to be FR20, door to integral garage should be FR30. An FR20 door is pretty much just a FR30 without intumescent strips.

 

[Oddbod1]

Also the fact that very few places sell FD20 doors anymore so indirectly they suggest FD30 instead.
I am going to be putting in FD30 doors for most of the house (I have 20+ doors in the house to do). That being the case, if my inspector is not requiring me to put in the intumescent strips except for the lining between the garage and the room, would you advise against putting them in all other linings from an aesthetics perspective? Do they look ugly and spoil the look of a high end finish?

 

[JohnD]

you get used to the look of them, and the furry ones cut noise and draughts.

they look better than the big doorstops.

modern firedoor linings have a groove machined out for the strip.

plain white intumescent strip is not noticeable.

 

[Oddbod1]

you get used to the look of them, and the furry ones cut noise and draughts.

they look better than the big doorstops.

modern firedoor linings have a groove machined out for the strip.

plain white intumescent strip is not noticeable.

Doorstops? You mean the mechanical door closer or those rubber mouse looking door stop?

So If I am getting my linings machined out because we have bespoke sizes, what should the strip out size be, 10mm? Do you have an image of the plain white one you refer to as the ones I have seen a pretty ugly looking.

 

[JohnD]

No, I meant the wooden strip that (on mine) is nailed to the lining for the door to close against

for strips, search "intumescent" on IronmongeryDirect.com they are sticky-backed so best fitted after painting

the groove should be the width of the strip, or vice-versa

You had better check the regulations, because they changed since I last bought some.

 

[liam86]

Just went through something similar with a refurbishment of an Edwardian terrace with a new loft conversion.
Because we had installed mains supplied smoke detectors (heat detector in kitchen) in habitable rooms we didn't need to install fire doors at all. However, when Building Inspector came for final sign-off they made us aware that fan lights above windows on the first floor would need fire rated construction, so had to swap these out. Not sure of the logic but queried if we needed intumescent strips and smoke seals in the doors below and they were happy without!

 

[chappers]

The problem is that requirements vary from authority to authority and inspector to inspector.
I have just come out of a 2 month battle over the original doors that I retained as part of a loft conversion.
It was the very first thing I discussed with the BCO when he first came out, he wasn't happy with just smokes in all rooms and circulation areas, but suggested using envirograf intumescent paints. fast forward to some new jobsworth guy who comes from a different authority and he refuses to sign it off, despite the fact that on top of the treatment to the doors the fire safety has been massively improved; smokes and heat throughout, original wooden panels boarded and skimmed and fire treated/boarded and skimmed on the habitable sides, doors completely stripped and re-hung in new linings so they actually fit.
Had to take this almost to the top of BC, but eventually common sense prevailed, despite the actual inspectors all trying to close ranks to try and save face for their colleague.

 

[Oddbod1]

Just went through something similar with a refurbishment of an Edwardian terrace with a new loft conversion.
Because we had installed mains supplied smoke detectors (heat detector in kitchen) in habitable rooms we didn't need to install fire doors at all. However, when Building Inspector came for final sign-off they made us aware that fan lights above windows on the first floor would need fire rated construction, so had to swap these out. Not sure of the logic but queried if we needed intumescent strips and smoke seals in the doors below and they were happy without!

fan lights above the window? I didnt understand that. Lights with a fan on it or a small window?

 

[chappers]

traditionally a small window over a door in the shape of a fan, but now has been generically used to describe any window over a door.

 

[Nakajo]

And (apparently) 'above windows'