Egress Windows Query

[grahamw]

Hi all,

We are having building work done and i'm struggling to get my head around the building regs requirements on egress windows.

My reading of building regs is that the 'lounge' and 'study' in the attached drawing are covered by 2.1a - ie they open directly onto a hall leading to a final exit.

Building regs are currently saying that they both need egress windows.

They have also told us that we need to install egress windows on all the first floor bedrooms even though this building work doesn't touch upstairs!

Any thoughts?
 

Proposed_ground_floor_plan-with_Dim.pdf

[Conor]

It looks like your kitchen is open to the whole house? That means no rooms have a safe fire exit route and all will need escape windows. Including upstairs. Just stick a door on between kitchen and hall.

[Mr Punter]

I think they are correct.  The work on the ground floor compromises the upstairs as the kitchen is open to the stairs.  They may ask for additional smoke alarms as well.

[kandgmitchell]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

I think they are correct

And I'd have to agree - you haven't really got a hall have you - it's an extension of the kitchen/dining room. Just think of a fire starting in the kitchen and you're watching Netflix in the lounge. Without an egress window your only route out is through a smoke filled corridor towards the fire in order to get to the final exit. In a similar way those on the first floor will have the same problem.

 

So, although you say the building work doesn't touch the upstairs physically, it does adversly affect the upstairs if it makes the means of escape worse than it was before and thus it is picked up by the Building Regulations.

[grahamw]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

I think they are correct.  The work on the ground floor compromises the upstairs as the kitchen is open to the stairs.  They may ask for additional smoke alarms as well.

Thanks all - better explanation than i have had previously!