/// Passive fire protection in Southend-on-Sea
Southend's housing tells the story of a seaside resort that became a commuter city. Westcliff and the streets behind the seafront are full of large Victorian and Edwardian houses that have been split into flats, often more than once. There are council tower blocks near the town centre, seafront apartment buildings, and plenty of houses in multiple occupation.
Salt air is hard on doors and ironmongery, and converted houses rarely had fire separation designed in. We cover the whole of Southend-on-Sea, from Leigh to Shoeburyness, and look at each building as it really is.
Fire doors in Southend-on-Sea
In converted seaside houses we often find flat front doors that were never fire doors, thin infill panels above them, and closers that have rusted or been taken off. In purpose-built blocks the problems are communal: doors held open, damaged leaves and worn seals. We carry out fire door inspections, repair and adjust doors that can be saved and install certified fire door sets where they can't.
Fire stopping and compartmentation in Southend-on-Sea
Splitting a house into flats means new floors and walls between homes, and new services running through them. Holes for soil pipes, heating and cables are often left open or packed with foam, and voids under stairs hide meters with no fire separation. We seal them with fire stopping that is tested for that service and construction, and enclose meter cupboards in fire-rated boarding.
What we check in Southend-on-Sea buildings
- Flat entrance doors in converted Victorian and Edwardian houses
- Fanlights and panels above doors that break the fire separation
- Closers, hinges and latches affected by sea air
- Floors between flats: holes for soil stacks, heating pipes and cables
- Under-stair meter cupboards on the escape route
Rules that apply to Southend-on-Sea 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: Basildon Chelmsford Thurrock