PAUL ROGERS

[Guest Paul]

Hello a recent fire risk assessment requires fire seals around individual  apartment exit doors and 3 hinges,in a purpose built block of apartments 3 and 4 storey high,do the seals need to be both smoke and intumescent or just intumescent seals,and is it the managing agent or the apartment owner liable for the cost of  fitting

Also the  electricity meter boxes are situated in fibre glass fronted boxes on the landings on escape routes,i can understand these being replaced with fire proof ones as meters do seem to catch fire quite often, in fact a neighbour was re-homed after her meter caught fire in her old house.

Again who is responsible for the replacement cost of a new meter box covers, managing agent or   leaseholder as both the front doors and meter boxes are fixtures in the block.

We all pay a service charge for repairs etc,so should this pay for the costs detailed above.

[Mike North]

Without knowing the building it’s impossible to answer, but as a rule of thumb, if it is possible for smoke to affect the escape route then there should be smoke seals.  The cost difference between smoke and not smoke is negligible.

The who is responsible for the cost is a matter for the tenancy agreement and is not a fire safety issue, but ultimately, I suspect that it will fall on the leaseholder

[AnthonyB]

If you actually need to upgrade at all (often not actually required in smaller existing blocks as backed up by official guidance) then you should be going for combined intumescent & smoke seals.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022-fire-door-guidance/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022-fire-door-guidance)

Costs are down to the individual leases & agreements for the block - front doors are usually the flat owner, the meter cupboards more of a grey area