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Our building control officer has said we need sprinklers to mitigate for fire access for our new build project (it's ridiculous as a fire engine would definitely get here in reality, but on paper our lane isn't wide enough and is unmade), and on a category 2 provision, so 30 minutes run time. We are building three single storey replicas of the pig farm buildings that were previously on the site (long planning battle once conversion couldn't be achieved) which will create two houses, one with a garage which also requires sprinklers. They are all timber frame construction with mostly timber cladding, so we do understand the benefits to having a sprinkler system if the worst should happen, but still feel very forced into having it. Typically our mains water supply doesn't meet the flow and pressure required so we're now looking at a 3000 litre tank and pump. Still working out if it can be underground (but would still need an overground control centre as it would be shared with my brother in law's property) or if it will have to be overground...which causes panic in terms of what it looks like/implications for planning as we are in a conservation area within no class E permitted development. We have been working with a sprinkler company so far but they haven't been great, and as things have got more complicated in terms of the tank etc, we are even less impressed with them. We're already at first fix on our house so need them their first fix in soon, but need to know what the full set up will entail before we fully commit (including pipes and cables in and out of the house), and currently don't feel we want them anywhere near! We have started talking to other companies again, too, but getting conflicting advice about the tank (under or over ground) etc. We would love to hear if anyone else has got a tank and pump for their sprinkler system, what it looks like and sizes, and if you have been able to put the tank underground, or if there is any overground set up and what that looks like, too.

I have a pair of old 1940s double doors, that are made of solid oak. They are heavy and around 42mm thick. We have got new frames with intumescent strips for them. There are two issues that I think might be picked up by my BCO (who is expecting these to comply with FD30). 1) each door has a couple of pretty small panes of glass which obviously won’t be fireproof. Could I fix that by adding some of this film into each pane: https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/b5005059008/ 2) I think double doors need a “pair maker” to be made into fire doors. Anyone know if that is the case? Any other issues? Thanks