Di Rock

Dear safelincs, Thanks so much for your help up till now. So following your advice, I asked Building Control what legislation they were using to advise that we needed an F60 door and they sent this doc: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832631/Approved_Document_B__fire_safety__volume_1_-_2019_edition.pdf I have tried to digest this and I found their definition of "building" in the glossary is a bit starnge: "Any permanent or temporary building but not any other kind of structure or erection. A reference to a building includes a reference to part of a building", so I guess that my two flats can be separate buildings (?!) . If that is true, in the box of page 136, it says "In a compartment wall separating buildings: Same as for the wall in which the door is fitted, but a minimum of 60 minutes In a compartment wall: a. if it separates a flat from a space in common use E 30" However, earlier on in the document, it says: 6.6 In a converted building with a maximum of three storeys, a minimum REI 30 fire resistance could be accepted for elements of structure if the means of escape conform to the provisions of Section 3 (page 19 onwards). It is really hard to understand this process for a lay person, I really value your advice. Thanks for your patience. Best wishes Di

Many thanks. What they say is that between the 2 flats there must be a fire door, and it has to be F60, not F30. This has massive implications for the wall holding it, and I do not know what they are basing their decision on. You advised to ask them for the reference, but I was trying to find out myself as I have found this department in my area are not the most helpful, unfortunately. So if you have any reference for this, I would appreciate this. Many thanks di

Dear Mr Sutton Many thanks for this. Please see attached a drawing of the area, in red where it says "wall we want to open" is where the fire door will go. We own the 2 flats, although for council tax purposes they remain as 2 dwellings. This is because to unify them we had to demolish one kitchen and we may want to sell in the future (take door and build wall again). I hope it makes sense. Please do ask if unclear. Best wishes and thanks again for your time Di option 1.pdf

Dear all: I live in a house with 4 flats.: Flat 1 (ground), Flat 2 (1st floor), Flat 3 (2nd floor, my flat) and I have recently bought the top flat (Flat 4). The entrance doors for my 2 flats (3 and 4) are in the 2nd floor, as Flat 4 has the stairs within the property. I only have to open a wall in a corridor to communicate them and put a fire door there. Now the Building control team in the council said it should be an F60 door, but I have been advised by a fire expert I only need an F30, because it is not in the communal corridor, it will be in between the 2 properties that we own, nobody can go further up in the building. Could you please advise what kind of door we need? F30 or F60? If you had a reference to show the council, that would be amazing. Many thanks and regards Di