Loft Conversion - mains stairs an issue?

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G0nz0uk

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Hello,

We live in Thurrock (Essex) and looking to get some more space in our house. It's a semi detached hose and has 2 normal size bedrooms and a small one. I want to get the loft converted and then make the small room and one other a nice size room (separated by a plaster wall currently) so in total it will have 3 good size bedroom. We have space on the landing for the new stairs.

The problem I see is out main staircase to the ground floor is in the middle of our house between our kitchen and living room and on the Thurrock website it says the following, point 2 concerns me:

The following problems often occur with this type of application:
  • where the proposal is to provide a room in the roof space of a 2 or more storey dwelling, it is advisable to discuss the need for fire protection and means of escape with a building control surveyor before any works are commenced
  • the existing stairway must end at ground level in a protected area with access to an external escape door, not into a open plan area such as a lounge or other habitable room
  • in all cases you should contact a building control surveyor before work commences
Is it time to move house instead?

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AiDwztGEAbFVoGdLJF1CsAqxN13m

Not the best picture, but shows the space, I'm standing in the living room, the door with the clothes on the back is just a cupboard and behind the kitchen.

Thanks

Andy
 
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it doesn't say "direct means of escape" so could you escape from either room to the left or right of the stairs?
would changing both doors to fire doors provide a refuge/help?

( not an expert)
 
No if you have to escape through either a habitable room or kitchen this isnt allowed as these are the rooms at greatest risk of fire starting.
Your alternatives are to create a fire safe corridor by partitioning off your lounge or fit a fire suppression system , such as a sprinkler or at the outside a safe means of escape from the first floor, but again this cant be through a habitable room
 
The guy who did an extension at the back for us said about a fire suppression system like a sprinker system may be ok come to think of it, are they expensive or any eye sore? What is strange a property with the same house as us already has a loft conversion, but I don't know them well enough to ask as they only moved in recently ( I guess checks would of had to of been done to sell it to them?)
 
As mentioned the stair requires either a protected escape route to an external door ie not through a habitable room or a kitchen. Or sprinklers may be acceptable. Occasionally I have heard that connected smoke detectors in every habitable room and fire doors throughout has been acceptable but I wouldn’t count on it.

Domestic sprinklers are approx £1200-2000 and the sprinkler heads are actually very subtle these days and can sometimes go on a wall instead of a ceiling. Need to confirm your existing water supply has enough pressure too for this option (it more than likely does but you would need to check) otherwise a storage tank in the loft would be required.

A sketch of the existing layout will help the thread to progress ……
 
I can draw one yes. Imagine if the toast set a fire alarm off and then the sprinker :(

Thanks
 
They don’t work the same way as smoke detectors they rely on the intense heat from smoke caused by a fire to set them off not by a waft of smoke from a toaster. That also means there is a delay of say 20-30 seconds before they will go off in a proper fire which is one of the reasons some Building Controls’ are not keen – because they are not instant.
 
what is on the rear of the cupboard as you come down the stairs?
external wall?
 
It's part of the kitchen, where a washing machine and the boiler is and back door.
 
An idea, I'm at work so can't draw a sketch, but if you imagine as you come in the front door there is a very small hallway. Directly ahead is a toilet and to the left our living room as seen in part of the photo. Could we remove the toilet and put new stairs there so it comes down to the front door and put the toilet back under the stairs, perhaps the door to the toilet would be where the current stairs are?
 
Just draw something later when you can, rest assured we have all bookmarked your thread and are on the edge of our seats in anticipation.
 
Hmm. I need to check out the regs. Theoretically you're screwed. But one could argue that if there was fire in say the living room you could escape via the dinning room/kitchen. And vice versa.
 
Would changing the stairs to the front door be a good option?
 
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