Loft Conversion - Doors, Fire Regulations

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Could someone tell me the Fire Regs regarding new and existing doors in a Loft Extension on a 1930's semi.

The Regs seem to change from year to year.

The stairway will be 'enclosed' when the jobs finished.

An estimator has costed for 'Intumescent Strip - Fire Door Pack (plain fire seal)' for what appears to be all the interior doors.
Also there are 'adjustable door closers' for each door- I though these were no longer required.
They have also costed for a FD30 door for the Loft.

Do the existing heavy oak doors need lining or painting in any way ?

Thanks.
 
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As a local authority building inspector I can tell you how we do it, but the neighbouring authorities will differ slightly. All doors to staircase enclosure (incl bath/wc) to be FD20 fire doors. Either intumescent seals, or 25 x 25mm stops screwed and glued, and three steel hinges. Cupboard doors to have 12mm plasterboard on inside face. Some councils insist on intumescent seals, some don't require the bathroom/wc doors to be FD's. Some let you keep good quality thick-ish doors and paint with the Envirograph system, some agree no changes but smoke detectors on all (most/habitable?) rooms.

If you go to a private building control officer (an "Approved Inspector") he may have a different slant on the requirements.
 
Oh no!

I hope this wont be like on site where one of you comes out and says one thing, and then the other comes out and says something completely different
 
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Can only offer a BCO opinion as I see it. Main issue I would have thought is lack of consistency in interpretation. Unfortunately different authorities view things differently.
 
Thanks for your replies, hopefully they will let the solid oak doors stay.

If the build were to take say 6 months or more until a completion cert was issued, could these fire requirements be left until the last minute - even with people living in the property.
 
You will just have to see what your inspector says with regard to the fire doors and whether they can stay, need upgrading or what. Nobody on here will be able to answer this particular query it is pretty much totally down to your particular Inspector.

You can live indefinitely in your property without any doors at all if you like however you'll not get your certificate until BC are satisfied.
 

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