Entrance doors.

[James Cullum]

Hi I live in and own a ground floor flat in an old converted house. My flat is accessed via a communal door and then immediately by my fire door main private  entrance. Now behind that door is a very small area consisting of 2walls and a further fire door which leads to my hall. This area between the 2 doors must only be a meter square of floor space. One of the two walls is just a stud wall as is the second door the other wall is a brick wall that forms part of the 1st bedroom wall on the opposite side. With this space being so small and pointless it makes getting large items in and out tricky. My question is can I remove the second door and stud wall to make the main fire door open into my main hallway or is that second door a requirement by law? 

 

Many thanks 

 

james 

[Tom Sutton]

Without detailed information I cannot give a definitive answer but I cannot understand why you need a protected lobby to your front door (FD30s) unless it is to reduce the travel distance from the furthest  point of your flat or to reduce draughts. This is called double door protection and can apply to commercial premises but not flats therefore I cannot see any reasons why you cannot remove the enclosure.

How many storeys is the premises and are the doors to your hall, fire doors?

[James Cullum]

Hi thank you for the reply. 

 

The flats are 3 stories per side. I’m the only ground floor flat accessed by my side. There are 2 flats on the 1st floor and one up in the roof.

The two doors you go through into my flat are both fire doors yes. The individual doors out of the separate rooms aren’t though if that makes sense. 

 

James

[Tom Sutton]

I still cannot understand why the front door was provided with a protected lobby and in most situations the front door will be a FD30s fire door. The remainder of the doors into your main hallway will be FD20 doors and well fitting, substantial standard doors are quite often accepted.

I cannot see any reasons why you require the protected lobby or find any guidance that would require it and if you remove it you will be like many other flats that I am aware of.

[James Cullum]

Ok it’s a strange one that’s for sure. Any idea what department of local council or something like that would be best to contact so I could maybe get somebody local to me to have a look as it. 

 

James 

[Tom Sutton]

The department you should contact is the Local Building Control but I would be surprised they would give you good will advice, unless you applied for building regulation approval which I am not sure you need.