Loft Conversion - Fire door at bottom of loft stairs advice?

[willcm]

Hi,

I'm in the process of having plans drawn up for a loft. Rather than have the door at the top of the stairs leading to the loft I want them to be at the bottom so that the loft has more of an open plan feel. I'm unsure of the regs regarding this. From what I can make out I can have a door at the bottom of the stairs but would need 400mm of clear space immediately after the stairs and before the fire door. All the doors to other rooms won't swing across the landing so I can't see any issue with those and of course the landing will be at least the width of the stairs.

I've attached an image to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Thanks

Thomas

 

[jeds]

I don't see where your 400 clear is at the bottom?

 

[willcm]

I don't see where your 400 clear is at the bottom?

Thanks for the reply, the plans I've received from the architect showed the door at the top of the stairs in the loft, I've quickly hashed these to show what I want but don't have the graphical skills to show the 400mm gap between the stairs and the door!

What I really want to know is is there anything in BR that says this design isn't feasible (bearing in mind there will be a 400mm gap between the stairs and door in the actual plans and build)

 

[mikric]

You must have a landing at the bottom at least the same width of your stairs.
Page 7 para 1.15
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADK_1998.pdf

 

[Blagard]

What I really want to know is is there anything in BR that says this design isn't feasible (bearing in mind there will be a 400mm gap between the stairs and door in the actual plans and build)

I think you will find that the 400mm clear space is to cover the situation where an adjacent door opens across the landing space at the bottom. In the normal situation your stair door will be closed.

You are only giving yourself a 400mm "landing" which as mikric has pointed out, needs to be at least as long as the width of the stairs.

So IMHO your layout does not comply.

 

[DevilDamo]

If your drawings are correct, then it appears you have no option other than to put a door at the top of the stairs as space at first floor is very limited.

 

[Jonwestfield]

Hi I have a ViiFire fitted in my house, building control liked it because it gave protected access down from the loft to the next floor down (house is in St Albans)
BUT SERVICE COSTS are VERY HIGH Coopers Fire charge £475 inc VAT for an annual service, I would not have bought this had I known.

 

[paulandfrodo]

I'd never seen a ViiFire... In My last open plan conversion I did, I installed a sprinkler system. It cost me £1,200. The service on that is £125. That's just to check the water pump. Boy, they are spanking you on the checking fee ! They must move pretty slowly, weighed down by the large gold chains.

 

[maltaron]

I may be wrong but can you not fit mains powered interlinked fire alarms in lieu of a fire door?

 

[DevilDamo]

That's a requirement regardless.

There may be other ways round it. Best for the OP to speak to their BCO.

 

[GeArZ SpAnKy]

Hi guys, just want to point this out for anyone in the future that sees this... Like me. The building regs state that at least the width of the staircase for a landing, however it only states 400mm if a door is swinging accross it, this is because a standard door is 30 inches (762mm) wide and would either be open or closed, therefore granting the correct landing space when in either position once you add the doors width to the already existing 400mm. Example, a standard door at the top of some stairs with the 400mm landing, would actually grant you 1162mm even when closed

 

[JP_]

I may be wrong but can you not fit mains powered interlinked fire alarms in lieu of a fire door?

that's what I did - BC said either than or fire doors.

But maybe different if no door on the loft level?

 

[GeArZ SpAnKy]

that's what I did - BC said either than or fire doors.

But maybe different if no door on the loft level?

So do you not need a fire door if you have mains linked fire alarms? Would like to get a bifold instead

 

[JP_]

Well, that is what my BC said in 2015, so things might have changed. And the loft stairs exited to the front hall, so maybe that is a factor too - if they go into a lounge for instance, could be different.
Speak to the BCO and hopefully it's just a case of loads of fire alarms - we had to have one in every bedroom and above stairs on each floors, and there was a heat sensor alarm in the kitchen connected to all smoke alarms. So 6 in habitable rooms on 1st and 2nd floors, 3 on the stairs, plus the heat one in the kitchen on ground floor.

Kinda makes sense to do both if it is feasible - alarms will only wake you if there is a fire, ideally you don't want the fire spreading before you gather the family and get out.

 

[GeArZ SpAnKy]

Well, that is what my BC said in 2015, so things might have changed. And the loft stairs exited to the front hall, so maybe that is a factor too - if they go into a lounge for instance, could be different.
Speak to the BCO and hopefully it's just a case of loads of fire alarms - we had to have one in every bedroom and above stairs on each floors, and there was a heat sensor alarm in the kitchen connected to all smoke alarms. So 6 in habitable rooms on 1st and 2nd floors, 3 on the stairs, plus the heat one in the kitchen on ground floor.

Kinda makes sense to do both if it is feasible - alarms will only wake you if there is a fire, ideally you don't want the fire spreading before you gather the family and get out.

Yeah, fire alarms are always a good idea, I'm not sure about the bottom of the stairs, as where I'm thinking, the first step is next to the bathroom door and opposite a bedroom door, but both open into the rooms, not the landing