Loft Conversions – upgrading for fire safety.

In all cases of loft conversions, you will need to have a certain amount of fire safety work carried out. However, contrary to popular belief, loft conversions on bungalows don’t have a big effect on the fire safety of your home. The main thing you must keep in mind is that any new windows are of a big enough size to be classed as an escape route.

However, there are implications if your house is two storeys, and it’s being made into three. Your new floor has to have 30 minutes of fire-protection at a minimum. This may mean that you have to have the ceilings below it re-plastered. The room or rooms in your loft will need to be separated by a fire door. This can either be at the top or the bottom of the new staircase. You will also need one window that is escape-sized in each room, so it’s worth bearing this in mind when you have your meeting with your architect.

You are no longer required to have self-closing door devices, as they pose a risk to small children getting their fingers caught. In place of your existing doors on the stairway, you need to have either fire-resistant doors or upgraded doors fitted.

Electrical works.

You will need to have mains-powered smoke alarms installed as part of the electrical works to your conversion. They will need to be installed on each floor, and they all need to be linked. When they’re linked and one is activated, it makes all the others sound at the same time.

You can find more information on the government planning portal, or alternatively you can call us on 01943 884899. You can also complete our contact form with any questions you have and we’ll happily answer them for you.

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