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You wouldn't want to use a roof as an exit as you would then be trapped with fire & smoke of course liking to rise (look at the Joelma Building Fire) A single protected stair is an acceptable escape route in many situations

It's unlikely to significantly enhance the fire resistance as it's not thick enough or anywhere near the tested specification (https://files.mutualcdn.com/medite-smartply/files/TEUSG0429-Rev01-Medite-Prem-FR-Euroclass-C-30-minute-FR-Partition-Wall.pdf) Euroclass ratings are for a wall or ceiling linings reaction to fire not their ability to hold back fire. Plasterboard or Gypsum board is more common for use to increase fire resistance of walls & doors https://files.mutualcdn.com/medite-smartply/files/Specification-Guide-to-Flame-Retardant-Wood-Panels-Part-1-REV0.pdf https://files.mutualcdn.com/medite-smartply/files/Specification-Guide-to-Flame-Retardant-Wood-Panels-Part-2-REV0.pdf https://files.mutualcdn.com/medite-smartply/files/Specification-Guide-to-Flame-Retardant-Wood-Panels-Part-3-REV0.pdf

Yes you do, because your flat should be a fire compartment and so should your neighbour's flat be a fire compartment - but separate to yours. That's why you both need your own fire door.

Hi my name is martin I own a flat i a block of 12 i live on the second floor as there are.only 2 floors in the whole building I live on the 2nd floor as.therw is 2 flats on that floor there are.no escape roots to the the top.of the building is a small door mate a triple hazard as there only 2 flat's on that floor

Good morning. We have a communal floor to ceiling meter cupboard in the entrance lobby of our small block of pb flats - 2 x gf + 2 x 1st floor. The cupboard is divided into three sections, each with their own doors, and the central section of the cupboard houses the meters but nothing else stored elsewhere in the cuboard. I have lined the interior/middle section of the cupboard with 6mm Medite fire retardant mdf (Euro class B) and sealed gaps with intumescent sealant. Can I fix the same fire retardant mdf to the back of the two timber doors with intumescent strips around the frame perimeter? I read in a similar post that you can get self adhesive strips, if so, where can I get suitable ones. Have tried to upload photos but keep getting unknown server error - probably fault my end

Dear Neil, thank you very much again, I'll do what you've recommended. Best regards, Viktor

Best to contact your local Building Control office for advice. My experience, having received different comments from different LBC offices.

That may well be a potentially suitable upgrade - some premises go down an alternative route, especially where there isn't much room for a bulky cupboard: https://envirograf.com/product/ecu-fire-protection-system/

When were they built - Building Regulations are not retrospective, but fire safety regulations allow for technical progress in assessing risk meaning in some situations corrective work is required. Government fire risk assessment guidance expects an existing block of flats to have a divided roof space if retaining a stay put policy, but on the other hand doesn't require new flat front doors if the original flat doors are fire doors to the standard of the time of build and are still in good condition. It's risk assessment driven - ask for the Fire Risk Assessment carried out for the block as the management company is now legally obliged to provide you with details of the risks and protective measures in the building as well as the identity of the fire risk assessor.

My neighbour and I are on ground floor with a fire door that leads into communal hallway then an external fire door . Do we need to have fire doors on our flats ?

I live in a block of 8 flats. 4 ground floor /4 first floor which share an unusable loft space . The management company have said that it is a new compulsory fire regulation that the loft space has to be divided into 4 using fire proof walls to stop any fire spreading at a cost of £12000. I have been told by a builder that these updates do not apply to flats built under old building regulations. Are these works compulsory?

No, it is not normal for any smoke alarm to beep when the ambient air is cold. I would suggest you check the age of the back up battery (It should be less than 12 months) You could also swap the detector with one in a different room and see does the problem persist It goes without saying that the unit should be less than 10 years old.

Thank you, Neil for the reply! I presume I will need a confirmation from Building Control before the alteration that they are happy with the proposed solution. Does it mean that I have to apply for a property visit from Building Control when I can explain what the change will be please? Or what can I do please to prevent a shock when the builder completed the job (moved the door and changed the single fire door to a double fire door) but Building Control would say that 'it is not correct like that, please change it back'? Thank you very much for your help!

Mine beeps when the temperature is cold in the front room. None of the others do - is this normal?

The lock keep should be tightly morticed into the door frame stile or secondary door leaf so that there are no gaps or voids. Intumescent gasket material is usually required for FD60 doors and sometimes for FD30, the door data sheet should provide the necessary information.

As you say, the requirement for this type of house is that the staircase must be protected to facilitate safe use in a fire. The existing doors, as described, should be suitable for this purpose and the proposed alterations should maintain that level of protection. Building Control may require evidence that the alterations do indeed maintain the required level of fire protection.

This FPA article (see link below) including the link to UK Gov guidance may be of interest, underlining several previous comments in this thread: https://www.thefpa.co.uk/news/government-issues-update-to-fire-door-guidance-

The lock keep should be tightly morticed into the door frame stile or secondary door leaf so that there are no gaps or voids. Intumescent gasket material is usually required for FD60 doors and sometimes for FD30, the door data sheet should provide the necessary information.

Thanks Anthony, The contractor services the system only and obviously can note this on their service report. I'll note this for the next FRA review to dicuss with our assessor what his expectation is.

I live in a First Floor Flat of a Two-Storey residential property which I access via a ground floor shared entrance hall. In the shared ground floor entrance hall there is a high level cupboard built out of 18mm MDF surround and 18mm MDF Doors which houses the electrical distribution boards for the ground floor and first floor flats. I understand that this 18mm MDF cupboard is not compliant - as it does not provide fire protection around the electrical distribution boards. I wanted to open this topic for discussion to find out if I did the following would this make the cupboard fire compliant? Lined the internal MDF cupboard with Gyproc Fireline 12.5mm (providing 30mins fire protection) Replaced the current 18mm MDF doors with 2 no. FD30 Doors with intumescent strips on fire rated hinges x 2 per door Installed fire rated lock to the FD30 Doors Any factual guidance that can be provided would be gratefully received. Best regards James

British Standards and the like are not retrospective by themselves. The Fire Risk Assessment, which has to account for technical progress, has to determine if the existing precautions remain tolerable without modernisation - in many cases they are still suitable (especially if other aspects have been modernised. Example - a hotel in the 1970's could comply with fire safety legislation with either no smoke detection or provision just to the stairs and corridors - this would no longer be tolerable as lack of any, or just limited, detection in any sleeping accommodation has been proven to be an unacceptable risk to life so the current standard requires detection throughout most areas of the hotel including bedrooms and it would be expected this is retrospectively applied & legally enforceable. On the other hand the same hotel would have original fire doors with a wooden stop on the frame instead of the current standard of intumescent strips and smoke brushes but could (& have in legal cases) justify not replacing them where they were in good working condition & the premises had more detection than when first approved. They only need to work to the 2025 standard for service intervals and actions and for major additions/new systems - the system itself does not need to be current as long as it still performs adequately and the FRA says such.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-in-purpose-built-blocks-of-flats Usually you need your own expert report - clients going to First Tier Tribunals often use these - unless you can convince them with this guide that does not require external doors to be fire doors except in limited circumstances (not yours)

Good evening, We are planning to purchase a 3 floor house. As I understand the doors between the stairwell and habitable rooms have to be (FD30) fire doors. As per the floor plan attached (I hope I was able to attach) on the 1st floow there are 2 fire doors, one between the kitchen and stairwell and another one between the living room and stairwell. We would like to move the door 2 to be door 3 (i.e. we will terminate door 2, to wall in and make a new door), and the door 3 will be a double fire door. This way there will be still firedoor between the stairwell and living room but on a different place. My question is if it can be done please? Obviosuly we have to call a structural engineer too to make some calculation but from building control perspective is it possible please? I've exchanged some email with the local building control expert but he hasn't replied yet what I have to do to get an official confirmation. Could anybody please help me? Thanks a lot! *** update *** Apologies, for some reason I can't upload image. However hopefully the floor plan can be viewed on https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E981QWdgOn_PY3Bu3oey2ieaWBQIexPZ/view?usp=sharing

Should all lockset latching keeps which have voids be intumescent protected as standard compliancy? I have come across numerous chiselled out keeps which must surely present as fire barrier breaches

With regard to the voids created when installing a lock keep, should it not be a case that all such fixings should incorporate intumescent protection?