/// Passive fire protection in Hackney
Hackney's buildings are a real mix: Victorian and Edwardian terraces split into flats, large post-war estates, warehouse conversions and newer apartment blocks around Dalston, Hackney Wick and Shoreditch. Each type fails in its own way when it comes to fire safety, so we start by looking at the building, not a checklist.
We cover the whole borough from our City Road office, a short trip from Hoxton and Shoreditch. Whether it's one front door in a converted house or every communal door in a block, the job is the same: make sure fire and smoke stay where they start for long enough for people to get out.
Fire doors in Hackney
In converted houses the flat entrance doors are often the weak point: original panelled doors, letterboxes cut in, missing closers and gaps big enough to slide a coin through. In purpose-built blocks it's usually communal doors wedged open, worn smoke seals and closers that no longer pull the door shut. We inspect, repair and replace fire doors so they match their tested design.
Fire stopping and compartmentation in Hackney
Every time a plumber, electrician or broadband installer drills through a compartment wall or floor, a hole is left that fire and smoke can use. In older Hackney buildings we often find open risers, service holes packed with expanding foam and gaps around pipes in meter cupboards. We seal them with tested fire stopping and compartment meter cupboards properly.
What we check in Hackney buildings
- Flat entrance doors in converted terraces: closers, gaps, letterboxes and glazing
- Communal doors on stairs and lobbies: self-closing, latching, seals and damage
- Meter cupboards under stairs: penetrations, boxing in and cupboard doors
- Service risers and loft spaces: open holes around pipes and cables
- Foam-filled gaps that need replacing with a tested product
Rules that apply to Hackney buildings
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Requires a fire risk assessment for the common parts of blocks of flats and all non-domestic buildings, including flat entrance doors since the Fire Safety Act 2021.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Over 11 metres: communal fire doors checked every three months, flat entrance doors yearly (best endeavours).
Approved Document B
Requirement B3: compartment walls and floors, with every service opening through them fire-stopped.
Nearby areas we cover: Islington Tower Hamlets Haringey