Just a thought re carpet fitting...Silly?

Aug 07, 2017 13 Replies

Maybe a stupid idea but after I paint then renew skirting in bedroom I will be fitting a new carpet and underfelt. Is there any benefit in laying down some sort of fireproof lining (paper) on the floor boards before fitting carpet/underlay or is underlay generally fireproof these days. Assuming something would be available.



The bedroom is above the kitchen so most likely place if ever there was a fire.


Take up smoking in bed. That way you remove the kitchen as the place most likely to be the start of a fire.

Paper & underlay are obviously not fireproof. Paper is only used with foam backed carpet to stop it sticking.

NT

What's this "fireproof lining (paper)"? Something intumescent? A quick google doesn't return anything that appears to be a floor covering.

Ah...

I suppose something that sealed the floor might give you a few more minutes but a rate of rise "smoke" alarm in the kitchen linked to the others around the house would alert you well before anything intumescent was swelling up.

I think the polyurethane chip underlay is impervious to smoke so using that as the underlay would effectively seal the floor. I'd not use any rubber based underlay these days.

I'd have thought the place for fire proofing would be the ceiling of the room below, as if the fire is hot enough to possibly set the carpet alight surely the wood bits suspending the floor and the floor itself would have been compromised by the time it got to your underlay. Brian

Thanks all for the input, it would seem not to be such a good idea. It was just one of these things I got thinking about as I need to redo the bedroom. After Grenfell and getting older I realise I would maybe need a bit more time to climb out a window, the curse of old age :-)

In message , Brian Gaff writes

Yes.

Building Control were happy to accept 150 Rockwool (needed for the underfloor heating) in the ceiling space rather than the extra layer of

9mm plasterboard specified by the architect. Has to be supported on stapled chicken wire so not an easy solution:-(

If the floor is floorboards, replacing it with 22mm T&G chipboard, with all edges sealed with fire cavity seals, will improve the fire resistance. However, the best place to fireproof is the ceiling of the room below. 1 x 12.5mm layer of plasterboard will give 30 minutes fire resistance. 1 x 15mm will give 60 minutes or 2 x 12.5mm or 2 x 15mm will give 90 minutes.

When our farmhouse (Victorian cottages) was done up. The architect specified 6mm plywood to be laid over the 9" floor boarding. I think this was intended to smooth rather than add fire resistance but, every little, helps. Decent, well maintained alarm as said.

ss submitted this idea :

Replacing your bedroom door, with a firedoor might be more sensible option.

Only if you've got people deep frying chips in the middle of the night.

michael adams

...

but building regs do all revolve around the most likely place for a fire being the kitchen

A few years ago, a bloke was found dead in his bedroom after coming back from the pub, putting a chip pan on, then going upstairs. The pan caught fire while he was in his bedroom.

When flying in a plane you should take a bomb with you, as the chances of there being two bombs on a plane are very small.

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