Basement escape from lightwell

6 years ago

Hi there,

I'm about to have a basement dug out and have employed a private Building Control firm to oversea the work. They have however told me that ladders are not an acceptable alternative means of escape as part of new works and that i need stairs in the front light well. Is this true? Only i have only ever seen ladders in the front lightwells (there are 5 of them in my road).

The house is in the borough of Wandsworth so i wasn't sure if there were any building regulations that i was unaware of?

Thanks,

Jack

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

PRO
Heat Architecture London
6 years ago
Presumably the basic problem is that the stairs from the basement storey exit via the kitchen and if a fire broke out in the kitchen the means of escape from the basement would be completely cut off and anyone in the Basement would be trapped. Its not really just a building regs issue - its a genuine safety concern. Pretty sure most house fires break out in the kitchen. If the stairs exited straight to the entrance hallway you would not need the alternative exit via the front lightwell. Building Regulations Approved Document Part B Volume 1 is the relevant legislation. You can access it online. I have never heard of a ladder being acceptable - what if you were disabled? The only alternative that you have is to make the main stair safe; either by building a wall between it and the kitchen, or there may be an option to look at a fire suppression system such as sprinklers/misting to create a safe route out.

I think if it were my house I would put the stairs to the basement underneath the stairs up to the first floor and swap the WC on the Ground Floor and the Utility in the Basement with the current stair location.

By the way the double sliding doors on the Ground Floor ought to be FD30 - 30 min fire doors. They are hard to find, but I know SELO make them: https://www.selo-uk.com/products/pocket-sliding-door-systems/
PRO
GOATER JONES London Ltd
6 years ago
We have three basement projects currently in construction all of which use a protected means of escape in conjunction with sprinklers or a misting system.

We would agree with the building control officer. But the problem is not so much with the use of a ladder or not - it is the general fire strategy that the layout fails to provide a safe means of escape.

Generally we would work closely with an Approved Inspector to ensure the design develops from the beginning with a fire a strategy in mind.

In particularly difficult situations, a specialist fire consultant can be employed that would look beyond the generalised building regulations to work more closely with the British Standards.

If you would like to discuss this further we wold be happy to assist as we principally work in the Wandsworth area.

Kind Regards, John 0208 332 3923
Related Discussions
DIY disasters
Q
Comments (11)
A long, long time ago in a town far, far away we owned a 1930's semi which needed completely re-plumbing. Not being afraid of the task (or perhaps a bit ignorant of the complexity) I did it myself and all was going to plan with a new wash basin fixed to the wall but not connected to the drain and all the pipework run under the floorboards and connected to the taps. Now being a clever sort of fellow, I put the plug in the sink to prevent any "mishaps" should a tap get accidentally turned on. From deep in the house, the voice of my wife asked if I would be much longer as the nailing down of the floorboards was causing a problem with TV so in order to speed things up, I nailed through the last board in the centre forgetting that the run of new pipe was underneath. There was a short panic, a frantic tearing up of the board and a subsequent arc of water flying above my head and neatly landing in the empty basin. I could not have planned this disaster better but when the sink started to fill up, I got a bowl underneath it and gently removed the plug whereupon the bowl filled whilst the arc of escaping water continued the fill from above. As panic had now set in and I was unable to get downstairs to turn off the stopcock, I simply emptied the bowl into the basin in a moment of absolute brilliance. Having re-invented perpetual motion, I then had to yell instructions downstairs so that said TV complainer could turn off the stopcock. Her logic of suggesting that the next bowlful should be emptied down the WC was not received with a good heart.
...See More
Side return to ground floor flat - no lightwell. Ideas please
Q
Comments (15)
Hi Will, I have one other question about the dev you did too. I saw in your profile photos of the finished extension. One thing i noticed is that you kept the rear bay window shaped aspect of the flat and added the glass panel or perhaps door on the right hand side. Why did you choose this over having a completely flat back with bifolds / sliding doors? I had a builder round last week and he said changing the bay window shaped bit to a flat rear is complicated due to the steel / support needed. I just wondered of your decision was planning / cost / design related? Thanks
...See More
Stairs from basement in kitchen - Building Regs
Q
Comments (1)
By adding an exit route out at basement level perhaps - egress windows or door out to garden etc ... also maybe by adding a mist/sprinkler system - but you ideally need to be talking to someone onsite who can see options that could relate to you and your situation.
...See More
Kitchen Circulation Question
Q
Comments (12)
Planning issues are dependent on where this is, and SW11 may be more relaxed than SW7 but can not be ignored. It also depends on which elements of the new build are effectively above ground, how the the roof garden is treated over the basement and the proximity to boundaries. One is correct in suggesting one should consult in these matters. Have you made a pre-application? The other thing one needs to be aware of with basement developments, of course, is the party wall issues. Love thy neighbour or not they would be key in a scheme like this. I would have thought the fire issues can be resolved with a concealed misting system ( or sprinkler system) to maintain a safe egress from both levels and reduce the fire risk. One may also need to consider a second means of escape from the basement bedroom and smoke venting.
...See More
PRO
Ensoul Ltd
6 years ago
Hi, we specialise in basement design and would be happy to help if you are still looking for advice. All the best, Mike https://www.ensoul.co.uk/portfolio/wandswoth-common-london/

Basement escape from lightwell

Comments (3)

Heat Architecture London

GOATER JONES London Ltd

Related Discussions

Ensoul Ltd

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US