Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
Welcome To Ask The Trades!
Mar 29th, 2024, 2:50pm
Quote: My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."


Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
Fire Escape (Read 5246 times)
Joiner
Trade Member
*****
Offline

Ask The Trades
Posts: 2063


Total Thanks: 7
For This Post: 0


Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England
Bridgnorth, Shropshire
England


Trade: Joiner

Fire Escape
Aug 6th, 2009, 10:05am
 
The job I'm currently working on required the removal of two ugly 1970's dormers and their replacement with two Fakro conservation rooflights (Listed building - the idea being to restore the roof line).

The requirement for fire escape regs is that the bottom of the window opening should be <1100 mm from the floor. Now, as the regs take account of the problems presented by older buildings, in that you are frequently faced with a far-from-ideal situation not of your making and impracticable to change, the rule is that whatever you put in must not make the original situation any worse.

The bottom of the window opening of the dormers was 1510 mm high. The bottom of the rooflights was 1530 mm, both well over the ideal 1100 mm.

(You'd also normally fit an escape window onto a roof, but that height meant that the handle - on the side - would have been a stretch for a normal height person just to reach, let alone open to its full extent, and impossible for a child to reach. Luckily, as these were the largest of the Fakro windows, the centre pivot gave an opening actually wider than the original dormers, so I was able to use the pivots with the handle on the bottom.)

So how to get the occupants up to that required <1100 mm?

...

There is a radiator immediately beneath the window. Add a radiator cover and make it something else?

It's of 18mm MDF, any pattern of radiator grille panel, and a top section on each step of 30mm meranti (less likely to distort from the heat of the radiator).

To be certain of the thinking, I called the BCO in to check and he thought it was an excellent idea. I gave him a copy of the drawing and asked him to endorse it with his comment and keep it on the file for future reference, any subsequent change in BCO wouldn't mean an argument if they took a different view! He noted that the height of the 'step' actually reduced that required height to less than a metre, so the situation was actually improved.

It has to be fitted in a semi-permanent way, structurally secure but capable of removal to allow maintenance.
Back to top
 
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
big_all
Global Moderator
Trade Member
Author
*****
Offline

heeelllooo
Posts: 5596


Total Thanks: 10
For This Post: 0


Gender: male

Trade: Joiner



Re: Fire Escape
Reply #1 - Aug 6th, 2009, 11:35am
 
excelent idea engenuity at its best Grin Grin

my only real comments would be is the centre spar off the radiator cover reinforced as thats the main support stopping the step from tipping back

might also be worth considering a small blanket box or simmilar spaced off the main cover by an inch or so as an alternative
Back to top
 

big all ---------------  we are all still learning
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
woodsmith
Global Moderator
Trade Member
Author
*****
Offline


Posts: 4395


Total Thanks: 135
For This Post: 0


Gender: male

Trade: Joiner

Re: Fire Escape
Reply #2 - Aug 6th, 2009, 5:43pm
 
Nice idea, you could even make it more of a window seat and put vents in the bottom and the side rather than have the grill.
Back to top
 
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
Zambezi
Re: Fire Escape
Reply #3 - Aug 7th, 2009, 8:06am
 
Or screw a ladder to the radiator  Tongue
Back to top
 
Thank User For This Post  
IP Logged
 
Joiner
Trade Member
*****
Offline

Ask The Trades
Posts: 2063


Total Thanks: 7
For This Post: 0


Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England
Bridgnorth, Shropshire
England


Trade: Joiner

Re: Fire Escape
Reply #4 - Aug 7th, 2009, 8:44am
 
There's actually a basin about 250mm to the right of it, coming off the wall perpendicular to it, so as it is is about the limit, otherwise I'd have made it slightly larger and more of a useable item. That bottom step will have a hinged top to create a bit of storage space.

I was lucky with the BCO. He's very laid back and not at all the prescriptive type. I was expecting pursed lips and a slow shake of the head, but he was actually telling me what problems I'd probably encountered in achieving the transformation and how difficult it was to satisfy the regs on older buildings. I never said a word, he was doing it all for me. What a breath of fresh air.
Back to top
 
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
londonman
Trade Member
*****
Offline

I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 1697


Total Thanks: 13
For This Post: 0


Malvern, United Kingdom
Malvern
United Kingdom


Trade: Cabinet Maker

Re: Fire Escape
Reply #5 - Aug 7th, 2009, 4:20pm
 
My understanding was that if you were replacing a window in the same position etc then the fire egress regs did not apply. Particularly so on renovation projects.
Back to top
 

Would all Third Party Apologists kindly mind their own business .....
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
Joiner
Trade Member
*****
Offline

Ask The Trades
Posts: 2063


Total Thanks: 7
For This Post: 0


Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England
Bridgnorth, Shropshire
England


Trade: Joiner

Re: Fire Escape
Reply #6 - Aug 7th, 2009, 6:43pm
 
No, they do apply. I've had BCOs measure the existing opening and comparing the new one. One on job I had to alter the casements on one window from friction hinge (easy-clean/egress) to butt hinge because the new opening was SIX MIL less.

The rule is not to make the existing situation any worse.

You don't need trickle vents either if the old windows didn't have them.
Back to top
 
Thank User For This Post View members image gallery  
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print