Steel beam with no fire board or paint but still signed off

[kentmonkey]

We've just had a chimney breast removed up to the loft and to support the remaining chimney breast a steel beam was installed.

The Building Regs person came round as the builders were finishing up and I had some of the conversation from downstairs:

"So are you coming back or is this final?"
"No, this is final. You're just finishing up aren't you?"
"Yeah, just tidying up and doing final fixings"
"Great. Then as far as I'm concerned that's that"

He then came down and told me we'd get our certificate in two weeks. We've got it in four days.

However, when I went up the day after the building work had finished, I noticed that the steel beam was exposed and didn't have any fire paint or fire board around it. Just bichumim paint which I know they whacked on just before they left as they said that they were sealing the beam against rust.

I phoned up the builder about this but he states that building regs didn't require it, otherwise they would have asked, and that as we've got the certificate we're fine. A friend has advised however that he's concerned that house insurance would walk away from us if we did have a fire and this didn't have fire proofing, as current regs state that it should. Regardless of whether building regs signed it off or not.

I don't really know what to do. I wouldn't know how to fireboard the beam (I assume cut the fire board to fit, but then how do you fix it)? Or indeed whether I should be touching it or just leaving it if it has been signed off.

Any advice gratefully received. I don't really want to start calling Building regs and causing an issue if one doesn't exist.

 

[noseall]

If it is above the (plasterboard) ceiling level then there is no need for further protection.

 

[kentmonkey]

It is, yes. It sits in the loft, above the bedroom ceiling.

I'm surprised, but pleasantly so. I thought any steel beam needed fireproofing, regardless of it's location, so I'm happy that it doesn't.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It wants to be boxed in, you need to build a frame around the RSJ, then either fix fireboards or double skin of stand PBs.

 

[kentmonkey]

Uh oh. Conflicting responses...

 

[noseall]

Uh oh. Conflicting responses...

Trust me, if it is in the loft above the ceiling there is no need for any further fire protection.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Uh oh. Conflicting responses...

Sorry mine and noseall and your added information overlapped, so I did not see it, then I went for a brew.
I understood from your original post that the RSJ was fully exposed. If it is within the floor/ceiling void or loft space, there is no need as noseall has stated for any additional work to be done to protect from fire.

 

[kentmonkey]

Sorry, yes, you can tell I'm not a builder!

It's fully exposed in the loft, but not in a room. Essentially it's holding up the remainder of the chimney breast but is above the ceiling. It has some rock wool around it (the loft is covered in it) but otherwise it's in the open in the loft.

What makes it different in the loft compared to in a room then? Not challenging, just geniunely interested.

 

[^woody^]

Exposed in the loft ...... just like all the roof and ceiling timbers

 

[kentmonkey]

Well, yes. But building regs doesn't cover existing, only new, and the only building regs I could find re: steel beams was that they had to be fire proofed, either by plasterboard (or fire board) or intumescent paint.

 

[^woody^]

No what I meant was if you had a fire in the loft it's no use having a protected steel beam when the rest of the roof, and ceiling would burn away and collapse.

Believe it or not building regulations are based on common sense and risk

 

[kentmonkey]

I totally agree with you. It wouldn't make sense. But the only piece in the building regs I've ever been able to find is that steel beams need to be fireproofed. I couldn't find any 'but not if 'X' applies' type logic.

Plus as it was holding up something structural (chimney breast) whether that had any bearing. No pun intended.

 

[^woody^]

You're reading the wrong regs, or the regs wrong.

The beam is protected from fire by the plasterboard ceiling

 

[kentmonkey]

Probably both. I was just handed a sheet about steel beams and it says it needs to be fire proofed either by the paint or by being encased in two sheets of plasterboard (or single sheet of fireboard).

 

[^woody^]

Oh, that's probably just a standard guide for beams when knocking out a wall or something. The requirements are in the actual b/regs, but probably need interpreting to each situation