Standard for Fire doors to Flats built 25 years and doors to meter cupboards

[Rob S]

Hi All

I’m a responsible person for several blocks of 4 storey purpose built flats some 25 years old. 
The meter cupboard doors (which are on each level)

look to be fire doors, but there’s no obvious certification. The cupboards are substantially built. The doors are in good order. 
They would have met regulation at the time of construction. 
How do we decide if these need upgrading? And if they do what suggestions are there please. 
Thanks 

[Mike North]

Look at the construction,  are they solid doors, are they heavy, have they got smoke seals, is there any markings on the door.

Does the cupboard run between floors or not

[AnthonyB]

On 18/06/2024 at 13:47, Rob S said:

Hi All

I’m a responsible person for several blocks of 4 storey purpose built flats some 25 years old. 
The meter cupboard doors (which are on each level)

look to be fire doors, but there’s no obvious certification. The cupboards are substantially built. The doors are in good order. 
They would have met regulation at the time of construction. 
How do we decide if these need upgrading? And if they do what suggestions are there please. 
Thanks 

Your written Fire Risk Assessment for the blocks (as you should legally have in place) should address this. Any reasonable assessor would, in accordance with the official Government guidance for blocks of those sizes accept the original notional fire doors (usually 44mm or 54mm thick depending on fire rating) as long as they are in good condition and installed to the correct standard originally (unfortunately some modern blocks have defects that were overlooked at the time of build).

Beware of people saying you must fit new certified doorsets, fire alarms, etc. Depending where you are in the UK I may be able t help you further if you wish.

[Rob S]

Thanks for that. That's how I read the Regs. The Fire Assessor's report was very vague and the managing agents surveyors wants new everything!! There are some minor repairs. Just bidding the job up.

[Guest Rob S]

Thanks for the advice. 
Does the 11m mean to the top of the ridge on a pitched roofed building or the height of the occupied section. 
Anybody know?

 

[AnthonyB]

On 20/06/2024 at 12:05, Guest Rob S said:

Thanks for the advice. 
Does the 11m mean to the top of the ridge on a pitched roofed building or the height of the occupied section. 
Anybody know?

 

• The top storey of the building being 11 metres or more/18 metres or more in height should be determined ignoring any storey which is a roof-top machinery or plant area or consists exclusively of machinery or plant rooms, and should be measured from the ground level on the lowest side of a building to the top storey upper floor surface
• So not roof or ceiling level