Low first floor window - solution needed

[kandgmitchell]

On 07/12/2024 at 17:16, ETC said:

Ideally physical guarding should be used.

Attached is the Guidance Note from the Building Control Alliance which BCO's would normally take note of. I think the BCA has now disbanded after the recent changes in the Building Control process but the technical advice remains relevant. See the final paragraph on Page 2.

bca_guidance_note_16_guarding_to_windows_with_low_cills.pdf

[Gordo]

On 07/12/2024 at 17:16, ETC said:

Ideally physical guarding should be used. However where the cill is less than 800mm above FFL and its an EEW NI BC will accept a restrictor stay that can be opened in a single action and re-engages when the window is closed.

I beg to differ. The BCA guidance offered above has been superseded. BC NI have a formal policy as does LABC on mainland to not accept such restrictors for guarding  a window opening. Unless you get a soft or ignorant BCO

Edited Tuesday at 02:38 by Gordo

[kandgmitchell]

7 hours ago, Gordo said:

The BCA guidance offered above has been superseded. BC NI have a formal policy as does LABC on mainland to not accept such restrictors for guarding  a window opening.

Which is exactly what the BCA guidance said. A lot of the LABC guidance has evolved from the same position that the BCA took, indeed the current LABC guidance on this is the BCA document.

[ETC]

19 hours ago, Gordo said:

I beg to differ. The BCA guidance offered above has been superseded. BC NI have a formal policy as does LABC on mainland to not accept such restrictors for guarding  a window opening. Unless you get a soft or ignorant BCO

I’d be interested to see the formal policy you mention to not accept restrictor stays. My understanding is that - although not ideal - Building Control in Northern Ireland will accept a restrictor stay as long as it can be operated without a key, in a single operation and reengages when closed. I am genuinely interested in seeing this policy please feel free to pm me.

[Gordo]

11 hours ago, kandgmitchell said:

Which is exactly what the BCA guidance said. A lot of the LABC guidance has evolved from the same position that the BCA took, indeed the current LABC guidance on this is the BCA document.

quite right. I was just letting you know that this guidance is outdated (but fundamentally relevant)

[Gordo]

43 minutes ago, ETC said:

I’d be interested to see the formal policy you mention to not accept restrictor stays. My understanding is that - although not ideal - Building Control in Northern Ireland will accept a restrictor stay as long as it can be operated without a key, in a single operation and reengages when closed. I am genuinely interested in seeing this policy please feel free to pm me.

This guidance is for BCOs and not available to the public. Tha BCA guidance provided by kandgmitchell includes a paragraph at end saying the same thing. I do recall seeing LABC guidance online somewhere. The principals of the guidance from memory where opening restrictors screwed to plastic frame would be unlikely to be strong enough to act as guarding and in the summer months the window may be left fully open leaving the opening without guarding.

 

Dwellings require 0.36 kN/m min. strength guarding. So say for a 1m wide window with two screws to one restrictor that would be in the region of 0.18kN or 18kg load on screw with no safety margins. You always have the option of getting a structural engineeer to prove adequacy of your opening restrictor. perhaps he could prove its adequate. I would expect few BCOs would accept this giving the potential outcome from a fall from second , third or whatever floor window. In this senario the only option is supplementary guarding to 800mm height.

Edited Tuesday at 22:24 by Gordo

[Gordo]

heres a copy of the most recent BCA guidance on subject that i have on the subject and it is in the open domain.

H - BCA-GN-16-Guarding-to-openable-windows-with-low-cills-Rev-1-Sept-2016.pdf