Stairs fire safety

makluse

I have an old house and am about to close in the under stairs area. As it is a old house the stairs does not have fire protection. I would like to put some protection under the stairs prior to closing in the area as afterwards will become quite tricky. I have looked it up online and there are plenty of places that mention regs etc but nothing about how to adhere to these regs, any help would be greatly received.

BryanF

http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1640,en.pdf

http://www.gyproc.ie/sites/default/files/Section%206.5%20-%20Timber%20joist.pdf

Consider Plasterboard to underside of stairs

Have you done much other work on the house?

Smoke alarms etc?

Is there just ground and first floor levels?

makluse

Just ground and first floor now but potential for attic conversion. Stairs location for attic will be located an opposite side of the house. Fire alarms around the stairs are located on the ground floor beside the stairs and in the first floor hall just along from the top of the stairs. 

Plaster board would not really work, I was hoping for something material like that could be glued or stapled that would slow the stairs from burning in case of a fire.

Cheers

cjpm

Plasterboard is rated as fireproof for something like 30 mins

As I understand it, if you convert the attic to living space you'll need a fire proof stairwell to ground floor level

makluse

I see, looks like I will have to make the plasterboard happen then

Gumbo

makluse wrote: »

Just ground and first floor now but potential for attic conversion. Stairs location for attic will be located an opposite side of the house. Fire alarms around the stairs are located on the ground floor beside the stairs and in the first floor hall just along from the top of the stairs. 

Plaster board would not really work, I was hoping for something material like that could be glued or stapled that would slow the stairs from burning in case of a fire.

Cheers

Fire rated plasterboard fitted and staggered in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines.

Also bear in mind the future location of the attic stairs and the proposed vertical escape route down through the building and it's requiredment to be Fire rated also.