Removing a stud wall/firedoors - regs??

Hello

A friend of mine wants to remove the stud wall between his kitchen and dining room. Can he/we just remove it or are there any notices he needs to make? It's a 2 storey detached house.

Also, in another house with 3 storeys there's a stud wall with a door (with a self closing device) between the lounge & kitchen that I'm also considering taking down. What's the rule on the closing door? Does the kitchen need to be seperate or is that if there is a door it needs to be self-closing (i.e. no door = no problem)? What if I put double doors in instead - do these both need to be self closing?? What are the rules 'cos the bathroom door is not self closing but all other ones are.

Thanks!

Steve

Reply to
adder
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In a 3 story house you have to have 30min fire doors, so that you can escape in the exent of a fire. I think it would be hard to make a double door a 30 min fire door.

The next question is, if there is no wall, there is no door, so I guess you can't be expected to make it 30min fire proof.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Dipper

But I have no self closing doors and nor does anybody else I know, are self closing doors a new requirement?

John

Reply to
John Smith

First check it's not load bearing. Just because it's a stud wall it doesn't mean it isn't.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I guess that depends on your definition of new, its been there for 5 years at least, no idea before that.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Dipper

You only need self closing doors if your house has three or more floors AND was build /significanlty altered since the regs came into force.

So my loft conversion needs some but my friend's four story manor house with wooden central staircase doesn't.

NB

Reply to
Nick Brooks

In a three storey house you must have a protected escape. Depending upon when it was built/modified the arrangement you have would be adequate. If you remove the kitchen wall or door you will need to provide protection for the stairs by another means and at the same time the rest of the stairwell access in the house will have to be brought up to modern fire protection standards if it isn't already.

The general requirement is for the stairs to be protected. If the lounge has a door opening onto a hall that door can be made self closing and fire resistant as long as the walls also meet the required standard. If the stairs are in the lounge they will need to be clad in fire resistant material and a door fitted from the lounge to the stairs.

Domestic double doors are not AFAIK made in fire resistant form. All fire doors must be self closing.

Depends on age of building and modifications. The idea is to give people on the top floor an escape route down the stairs if a fire occurs in a downstairs room. The highest risk rooms are the kitchen and the lounge.

Reply to
Peter Parry

It's a 20 year old flat type arrangement - central stairwell, door to foyer shared with neighbour, then my front door, a corridor which leads to all rooms except the kitchen which leads off the opposite end of the lounge. All doors are regular doors which I can barely lift up when they're off the hinges. There are no fire/smoke seals or anything like that. Many flats around my way have the saloon type doors to the kitchen which of course can't be fire proof!

..so, can I replace my kitchen door with whatever I like 'cos there's a door from the lounge to the corridor? All internal walls are 12.5mm plasterboard with metal internal frame.

Where can I look this info up?

Reply to
adder

No. I had not realised it was a flat, the rules in these are different and far more stringent as the stairwell is shared by other occupants who may not be aware of a fire developing. It will be classed as a "house in multiple occupation".

Your best bet is to talk to your local fire prevention officer. Different councils have different rules (or at least interpretation of the rules).

Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 230 The Housing (Fire Safety in Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 1997 and Housing (Means of Escape from Fire in Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 1997 and Department of the Environment Circular 12/92 Houses in Multiple Occupation - Guidance to local housing authorities on standards of fitness under section 352 of the Housing Act 1985" are the official documents.

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the rules.

Reply to
Peter Parry

It's a new build with plasterboard & metal framework stud wall. I can't envisage a situation in a newish house where a stud wall would deliberately be load bearing.

Reply to
adder

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