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Questions about renovating a flat
I have a few questions about renovations on our flat. Initially we were thinking of taking the kitchen wall down and the bathroom stud wall. But decided against the kitchen wall as it was expensive. Our renovations now is replastering as we found out some of the plaster is in such bad condition, skimming, repainting , new flooring, new kitchen cabinets and new bathroom, boiler replacement and a new FF30s door for the main entrance to our flat as the door is not up to fire specs. So the question is
1. If we decide to take down the stud wall non bearing confirmed by a structural engineer do we need to inform the land registry? Will floor plan be affected? The current floor plan on the title deed is different to our flat.
2. Our building controller that we engage unfortunately isn’t too informative and helpful. But have just informed us after having the plans for months that we need a door from the hallway to living room. ( see floor plan) Or alternatively fire curtain or sprinklers around the house. He said it’s because of the AD Part B-B1 means of escape (fire safety) . When probed further about what that means and the logic to have the door located there he doesn’t respond. We will have smoke detectors in hallway and living room and heat detector in the kitchen.
3. Do I understand correctly that when fitting the FD30s for my entrance door the installer needs to issue a certificate?
4. The current doors inside the flat is fire compliant so I won’t change those but the building controller says I need certification for the doors.
Our upmost importance when doing this renovation is safety. So everything we are doing is with that in mind. But I’m so confused with the door in hallway…. Just trying to understand the reasoning behind it.
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6 Replies
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The building controller’s suggestion for a door between the hallway and living room is likely to prevent fire from spreading quickly and to give occupants time to escape. The reasoning behind adding a door (or using a fire curtain/sprinkler) is that, in case of a fire in the living room, a barrier would be needed to delay its spread, especially since the hallway serves as the escape route. Smoke and heat detectors are great but may not replace the need for a physical fire barrier in certain layouts. Seems like BCV aren’t explaining it well to you. Yes, when installing a new FD30s door, the installer should issue a certificate confirming that the door is correctly installed and meets fire safety standards. If your existing doors are already fire-compliant but you don’t have the certification, the BC may ask for documentation proving compliance. It may be worth considering a door for peace of mind, even if it’s frustrating to get a clear explanation. Fire curtains/sprinklers are more complex and costly solutions
If the layout change is minor and does not significantly alter the structure or layout of the flat, you typically do not need to notify the Land Registry so that should be fine.
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So removing the stud wall in the bathroom is considered as not altering the structure? Only reason we are considering is because the space behind is like dead space. It doesn’t serve any purpose.
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So removing the stud wall in the bathroom is considered as not altering the structure? Only reason we are considering is because the space behind is like dead space. It doesn’t serve any purpose.
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I’m sorry to be a pain but I’m confused regarding the certification for the fire doors. What I understand is that we need to get a certified fire door FD30s door set and have a qualified tradesmen fit it. Does that trade men then have to issue a certificate?
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No need to apologise—fire safety regulations can be tricky!
Yes, you are correct that you need to get a certified FD30s fire door set, which includes the door, frame, and all the essential components (such as the intumescent strips, smoke seals, and fire-rated hinges). However, once a qualified tradesperson installs the fire door, they don’t automatically issue a certificate.
Instead, the certification process depends on the manufacturer certification and the installer competency such as such as BM TRADA Q-Mark or FIRAS. This ensures they are qualified to install fire doors correctly. Hope that helps now, sorry I know it’s so confusing!
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It’s to prevent fire and smoke getting to the bedrooms/hallway (ie your one and only.means of escape) in event of a fire in the kitchen (most likely place one would start). I used to live in a flat with very similar layout, and there was a fire door there.
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