Do I need to fit a fire door between garage and utility room?

[Guest Jross]

What are the requirements for fitting a fire door from a utility room in to a garage in a private property please. I have one just fitted by builders and I don't think they understand what the format is for fitting. Please confirm.

Thank you v much

[Tom Sutton]

The garage should be separated from the dwelling by half hour construction which means any door into the garage from the dwelling has to be half hour fire resisting door. The best guidance I know for installing a fire door is the ADSMA guide at http://www.asdma.com/pdf/installationlflt2.pdf I hope this helps.

You could also try http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/ for information on fire doors.

[Guest Geoff Blackman]

I live in & own a 3 bed chalet bungalow.

The kitchen door exits to a brick built garage that is attached to the house. The garage has a corrugated roof.

The concrete garage floor is lower than the kitchen floor.

Please advise: Should a fire door replace existing kitchen door??

Geoff

[Tom Sutton]

For the sake of you and your family I would say yes and to conform to Approved Document B - Volume 1 if you were building it today. The lower floor level in the garage allows any flammable liquid spills to disperse through the garage doors and prevent it entering the bungalow. If a fire starts in the garage (high risk) it would allow the occupants to escape before the fire entered the bungalow. Any openings in the wall between the bungalow and the garage should also meet a half hour fire resisting standard.

Check out page 32 of the above guide.

[Guest BarryBow]

I want to put a door from my garage to my house I want to use UPVC if possible.Can you please advise what door and Spec I need.
Many Thanks

[Tom Sutton]

I am assuming it is an integrated garage and the guidance is Approved document B (fire safety) Vol 1 page 30 which states, " The wall and any floor between the garage and house to have 30 minutes fire resistance with a self closing fire door. Floor to fall away from the door to outside".

So the door will need to be a FD30 fire door with self closer and you can purchase such UPVC fire doors.

[Guest gwyn mullins]

hi does the door have to open out or can I have it opening in from garage to utility

Gwyn

[Tom Sutton]

I am assuming it is a dwelling house and you can open it in any direction you choose. Opening doors in the direction of escape is only necessary when the numbers are more than 60.

[Guest Gerhard Novak]

Dear Tom,

your answers at this forum are extremly helpful and saved me from a lot of trouble!

There were others writing on the net that FD60 is needed from a garage into a house. This would be not only extremly costly but there is also little to chose from.

Gerhard, currently renovating my 1961built bungalow.

[Tom Sutton]

The door from an integral garage into the house should be a FD30 self closing door, ie 30 minutes separation. Check out page 30 of Approved Document Part B Fire Safety. You also need to check the floor of the garage which is detailed on the same page.

[Guest John.]

Hi there, read above and found Toms comments very helpful - thank you Tom. Just one question I can't seem to clarify. Does the door from a garage to the house need to be an external door rated at fd30 or can it be an internal fd30 door?

[Tom Sutton]

A internal fd30 door fitted with a self closer would suffice with a minimum 100mm step down from the house to the floor of the garage or the floor of the garage to slope away from the back of the garage to the front garage door.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Tom Sutton

[Guest]

can anyone recommend an insulated fire door. Garage is unheated and I find the existing building reg compliant fire door too cold

[Tom Sutton]

A 44mm thick door should be reasonably insulated it is about the thickness of a external front door and I supposed you could install a 54mm FD60 door but I am suprised you need it.

[Guest John]

Hi there

Do you also need an FD30 casing?

Is there any way of adding further insulation please?

Thanks

John

[Guest]

I have put a door in between my garage and lounge - it is a fire door and builder assures me it is done according to building regulations.  Is that it or are there forms that I need to fill out?

[Tom Sutton]

On 10/28/2015 at 8:50 AM, Guest John said:

Hi there

Do you also need an FD30 casing?

Is there any way of adding further insulation please?

Thanks

John

Guest John - When you fit a new fire door you should use a fire door set which is the the door and frame. 

A 30FD fire doors is usually 44mm thick should be reasonably insulated it is about the thickness of a external door and I supposed you could install a 54mm FD60 door but I am suprised you need it. When fire doors are tested they only test the stability and integrity not the insulation. 

Cold smoke seals not only prevent the passage of cold smoke it will also act as a draught excluder.

It depends on the location and the purpose of the fire door but if you could find a suitable fire resistant insulation board you could fix it to the non risk side of the fire door. But I am not aware of any such product and how effective it would be.

Again depending on the location and the purpose of the fire door you may be able to fit a free sliding heavy curtain to the non risk side of the fire door like you see in cinemas or theatres.

Sorry I cannot be more positive but it is something I have not familiar with.

[Tom Sutton]

On 2/3/2016 at 9:59 PM, Guest said:

I have put a door in between my garage and lounge - it is a fire door and builder assures me it is done according to building regulations.  Is that it or are there forms that I need to fill out?

When you carry out any building work it could be subject to Planning and/or Building Regulations and you should check this out, online or at your local building control. This may have been done by your builder but nevertheless you should receive a completion certificate, if building regulations approval was required and completed satisfactory.

Check out the Planning Portal and Building Regulations.

If you are subject to either then you will need to apply for approval and follow the laydown procedure which in the case of Building Regulation will end in receiving a completion certificate from building control when completed satisfactory .

[Guest pet lover]

How do I manage the need for a cat flap in the door from the house to the garage? It is the only exit to the back garden. I already have a flap in the rear garage door but as I am disabled I need the pets to be able to come and go even when I'm home.

thank you

 

 

[Tom Sutton]

Check out the internet and one example is http://envirograf.com/product/animal-door-flap/ which you fit to your fire door from the kitchen to the garage, then fit your existing cat flap to the metal frame, the cat flap from the garage to outside will be satisfactory. 

 

[Guest larry james]

Hi, Am I able to install a door from my house to the garage if the garage floor is the same level as the house. Thanks for any advice

[AnthonyB]

Yes, it would have to be a fire door though

[Tom Sutton]

Check out page 30 of https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485420/BR_PDF_AD_B1_2013.pdf for more information

[Guest Nicholette]

Do you know just how thick, how many layers of 12mm plasterboard should be on an integral garage ceiling? There is only one on mine. Also the firewall is plain 4 1/12" house brick with one side plastered which stops at ceiling (timber beams rests on top). Should the space above the wall to the top of this firewall 9ie the space above the wall within the floor of the room above), be filled with wall too?

[Tom Sutton]

The older previous building regulations had a section on notional periods of fire resistance and showed half hour fire protection can be achieved using 12.5mm plaster board with a perlite-gypsum plaster skim finish.

It also says a 4.5 inch brick wall has a FR of 2 hours so the walls should meet the required standard. Although these are BR’s are now redundant most people accept them as reasonable in the circumstance of the case, in the absence of documented proof.

I do not understand the construction of the integral garage if there is a room above all walls should be 11 inch and this situation would not exist.