Fire doors in HMO

[Guest Bigi]

Since we have a HMO we had to replace the interior doors of all of our rooms (except bathroom) with those heavy fire doors. We, as well as our tenants are actually LIVING in this house... That means we all go in and out of our rooms (into kitchen, living room, bathroom and back) many times a day... Often with full hands (food, cup of tea, laundry basket, shopping bags and so on...) It is impossible to open these doors with your elbow or three fingers or just quickly leave them open for 2 minutes. They won't even stay open long enough to go through without holding them with one hand. That's why our tenants often end up to stick something underneath the doors to keep them open... Not only that this practice makes the doors useless, it makes it even worse than having normal doors kept closed. We do tell them and remind them to keep these doors closed even if it is a pain in the bum... But it just keeps happening  and I also don't know how they handle these doors when we are not there (we sometimes have to go away for a longer period of time). Regulations just don't make sense to me when they're in everyday life clearly not viable. And I am sure we are not the only ones with that issue. Also I don't understand why it is a legal requirement for a HMO but not for a house/flat rented to one family. What's the difference other than latter are related to each other and first not? 

[Tom Sutton]

In a single domestic property all the rooms off the escape route has a FD 20 fire doors with no self closes and the front door has no fire resistance because once through the front door you are unlikely  to put your neighbours to any risk.

In a flat all the rooms off the escape route has a FD 20 fire doors with no self closes and the front door, also any risk rooms are FD30s fire doors to prevent a fire in your flat putting you fellow tenants to any risk.

In an HMO the front door to your bed/sit and any risk rooms have FD30s, c/w s/c, fire door to prevent a fire in your bed/sit putting your fellow tenants to any risk, it is all about the degree of risk.

[James Gormley]

Hi.

I understand FD30s is a 30 minute fire door with smoke seals fitted to the frame or door.

What is c/w and s/c

Thank you for your reply in advance 

[Tom Sutton]

You are correct and c/w is complete with, s/c is self closer.

[Guest Ian Malone]

Can a fire Door be a fire door if the room it protects is not checked and passed to the same level, I ask as seeing an industry being made changing doors and door furniture and yet walls , floors and ceilings are not checked to the same level.

[Tom Sutton]

They should be check out Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats.

 

[Guest Melanie L]

Hi there, 

I'm wondering if an interior fire door (3rd floor HMO from kitchen to entry hallways) requires latching hardware to be compliant (we were considering a different detail with a damper vs. a closer, and no latching).

Best, 

Melanie