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DIY Loft Conversion Building Regulation

Fire Safety

When looking at a DIY loft conversion building regulation compliance should be at the forefront of every decision when it comes to planning, designing and constructing the new loft room.

The building regulations are often viewed as red tape and a nonsense that are there to be worked around but this is not the case at all.

Complying with the loft conversion building regulations is mandatory and they have been put in place for the householders protection.

And when contemplating a DIY loft conversion the regs provide a useful set of guidelines to follow.

One of the most important building regs to follow for the DIY loft converter are those relating to fire safety and escape.

To ensure DIY loft conversion building regulation compliance close attention must be paid to Approved Document B which deals with the whole question of protection from fire.

The whole thrust of the fire safety component of the building regulations is to make sure that there is a protected escape route in the event of fire.

And this means an escape route to an exit from the property such as a front door.

Contrary to popular belief a window does not constitute a recognised exit so it is important that fire safety is considered very early in the design process.

This is essential as a retrospective fix isn’t always practical and could become very expensive.

The main provision when considering DIY loft conversion building regulation compliance is the requirement to provide an escape route that gives 30 minutes protection from fire.

This escape route must be fully enclosed and lead to a front, back or side door.

diy loft conversion building regulation fire safety

Many people do get very worked up and confused about this part of the building regulations but in practice it shouldn’t be too difficult to comply with.

The majority of properties in the UK already have an existing staircase that leads to a front door via an entrance hall.

If this is the case than your protected escape route is mostly in place and it just needs the new staircase to be fire-proofed.

This is easily done when the new loft stairs are built above the existing staircase within the current enclosure with the addition of a fire door at the top of the new stairs that opens onto a small landing.

But, if the new stairs are constructed away from the existing stairwell they must be protected by new walls along their path from the first floor landing. When this is done the obligatory fire door could, if the householder wished, be placed at the bottom of the new stairs rather than at the top.

The other main point to be concerned about with DIY loft conversion building regulation compliance is the need to ensure that each story of the house, including the new loft, is serviced by a smoke alarm that is wired into the mains.

This is something that seems to catch out some DIYers yet the final completion certificate will be withheld if the smoke alarms aren’t mains wired.

For more info see the related pages below or complete the form at the bottom of the page for a free no obligation quote from tradesmen near you for your loft conversion project...

Loft Conversion Building Regulations

Difference Between The Building Regulations And Planning Permission

More On Loft Conversion Fire Regulations

DIY Loft Conversion Building Regulation A DIY Overview

How To Get A Free No Obligation Loft Conversion Quote

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