/// Passive fire protection in Westminster
Westminster has some of London's most varied buildings: red-brick mansion blocks in Marylebone and Maida Vale, stucco terraces in Bayswater and Pimlico, hotels around Paddington and Victoria, and mixed-use buildings in Soho and Covent Garden with shops or restaurants below flats.
Mixed-use buildings need particular care. Where a commercial unit sits under flats, the floor between them and the doors onto shared escape routes have to hold back fire and smoke, so compartmentation and fire doors really matter.
Fire doors in Westminster
In mansion blocks we see original doors on flat entrances, heavy communal doors with tired closers, and doors held open on hooks or wedges. We inspect and maintain them, and install certified fire doors where needed, finished to suit the building.
Fire stopping and compartmentation in Westminster
Older buildings that have been rewired and re-plumbed many times often have unsealed risers and service holes between floors. Commercial kitchens and plant add ductwork through compartment lines. We fire stop service penetrations, including pipes, cables and ducts, and compartment meter and riser cupboards.
What we check in Westminster buildings
- Mansion block flat entrance doors and communal doors
- Floors and walls between shops or restaurants and the flats above
- Service risers and meter cupboards on shared stairs
- Hold-open hooks, wedges and closers that no longer close the door
- Duct and pipe penetrations through compartment walls
Rules that apply to Westminster 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).
BS 8214:2016
The code of practice for specifying, installing and maintaining timber fire door assemblies.
Nearby areas we cover: Kensington and Chelsea Camden City of London