When planning a significant project such as a loft conversion, it is important to be aware of the various rules and regulations that are designed to keep your friends and family safe. Loft conversion fire regulations are essential to get right- getting them wrong or failing to fulfill them to the best of your ability could get you into legal and logistical troubles or even endanger lives. With many years of experience designing and building safe and functional loft conversions, we are well positioned to run you through some fire safety basics.
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Escape Routes & Fire Doors
For a loft conversion, which is at the highest point of the property, there should be a protected escape route which leads to a final exit. It is recommended that doors along the escape route are FD30 (provide 30 mins fire resistance). For open plan layouts, other measures such as sprinkler systems may be deemed more effective.
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms must be installed in the new loft conversion, and it is UK law that there should be at least one working smoke alarm on every floor below. Alarms should also be interlinked for synchronised alerts.
Fire-Resistant Walls & Floors
The floor separating the loft conversion from the level below it must provide 30 minutes of fire resistance. The same goes for any walls along the escape route.
Windows for Emergency Escape
If your loft conversion does not have a fire-safe staircase, then at least one escape window must be installed. There are certain measurements escape windows must exceed- speak to one of our professionals about this if an escape window is required for your loft conversion.
Staircase Regulations
A new staircase should provide access to an escape route that follows through to the ground floor exit of a property. Winder staircases may be allowed where there is limited space, but fixed ladders are not permitted for habitable loft conversions.
The safety measures that are best suited to you will depend on the type of loft conversion you’re planning to construct. If you have any fire safety concerns, any experienced member of the team working on your project will be more than happy to discuss them with you.
