Fire Doors in HMO

[Guest Ken Hom]

I'm converting a 3 storey house into a HMO.

Each floor will house a single self contained dwelling with their own cooking facilities.  Each of these 3 dwellings with have their own entrance door leading off the shared stair case.

I understand these entrance doors need to be FD30.  Please could someone confirm if these need cold smoke seals and an intumescent strip?   

 

 

[Tom Sutton]

Yes they need to be FD30s fire doors check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing

[Guest Ken Hom]

On 20/08/2021 at 20:28, Tom Sutton said:

Yes they need to be FD30s fire doors check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing

Thanks for the reply.

I read the linked guide and its still not clear to me.

The FD30 doors are to separate each self contained dwelling from the stairs/hall which will have Grade A interlinked smoke alarms.  Each unit will also have interlinked heat detectors in the kitchens and separate stand alone smoke alarms in the other rooms.

Can anyone clarify if I need to fit Intumscent strips and cold smoke seals to the doors?

?21.3 In most situations fire-resisting doors should be fitted with smoke seals, as these restrict the passage of smoke into the escape route from the room where the fire is situated. The exception to this is where fire doors are fitted to rooms in premises where the fire detection system is restricted to the escape route (see paragraph 22.11/table C3). This will often be the case in three-storey shared houses. In these cases smoke seals should not be fitted, as their benefit will be outweighed by the fact that the smoke detectors in the escape route will only activate when the fire is at an advanced stage and beginning to breach the fire door. The resulting alarm may be so late sounding that the fire and smoke is already affecting the escape route. Where smoke detection is sited within rooms (LD2 coverage – see paragraph 22.11/table C3) the alarm will sound very early in the development of the fire and the smoke seals will be of benefit in keeping smoke out of the escape route, enabling occupiers to evacuate safely.

[Mike North]

I think the pertinent bit is where the fire detection system is restricted to the escape route, I do not think that you will get BC sign off if there is no detection in the kitchens

[Guest Ken Hom]

On 25/08/2021 at 13:14, Mike North said:

I think the pertinent bit is where the fire detection system is restricted to the escape route, I do not think that you will get BC sign off if there is no detection in the kitchens

Hi

Each floor will have heat detectors in the kitchens.

I just need to know if the fire doors to each floor need smoke seals or not.  Can anyone help?

[Tom Sutton]

You need a more detail description of the the fire alarm system. From what you have said you have a  three storey building converted into self-contained flats and this requires Grade A: LD2 coverage in the common areas and a heat alarm in each flat in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route (interlinked); and a Grade D LD3 coverage in each flat (non-interlinked smoke alarm in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route) to protect the sleeping occupants of the flat.

If a fire breaks out in the flat the grade D alarm will warn the occupants to evacuate the flat if the flat is empty then the heat detector will actuate the heat alarm near the front door and set off the grade A alarm warning the whole building. If the fire is in the common areas then the grade A alarm will warn the building.

This means you do not need smoke filtering from a flat front door to actuate the grade A alarm therefore the flat front door needs to be a FD30s fire door. A FD30s fire doors needs intumescent seal and a cold smoke seal which will prevent the common areas filling with smoke during the cold smoke stages of the fire.

You said I just need to know if the fire doors to each floor need smoke seals or not, well the do need smoke seals as well as the intumescent seals.