saying that i was on a loft convertion last month and first fixing the electrics. The only way up into the loft was via some scaffold at the back of the house up to the guttering and then a ladder down the slope of the room to a new dorma window as the builder wanted to get it all done and plasterd before he cut an opening the the stairs. Well the building inspector came around to check the roof insulation before boarding and also the steels and joists for the new floor. We SHE got half way up the ladder on the scaffold and said yeah it looks fine !!! she could not see much more than the guttering on house from the level she was on. So it was never really checked until the completion when everything was boarded and plastered. So it just goes to show theres a lot of them who have no intrest in Building Regs being stuck to.
Exactly JP, some building controllers dont see fire safety as un necessary at all. I didn't post that to try and degrade Foo. Fitting the things as Foo said was a nightmare to say the least. We did try and get round it by making boxes out of plasterboard and putting those on top (floorboards were up anyway for plumbing etc, not viable proposition otherwise) Upon inspection they made us take the boxes out and use the firehoods so the plan did not work. Personaly I would never feel happy about fitting 12v ceiling lights without hoods though, as apart from the fire rating issues, those little baby's sure burn hot.
Yes, some inspectors are very quick. But it's not all about pleasing thier eye. I like to get things done to the regs and just make sure that who ever lives there is safe, and my name is safe, hence the hoods. Especially when space is tight, the inspectors are very very quick!
Exactly JP, that's what I said earlier, that they get hot, and i was laughed at. The heat would worry me, being surrounded with all that insulation and dust ect.
Ant To help you, the time with and without firehoods is almost the same (domestic property) see IEE report, not my words they are the test centres words The escape rating for a domestic property is 30mins more for commercial properties 60 or 90min. So no hood and you have about 30 mins fire protection. With a hood about the same. No doubt the fire would propergate other ways. This is IMHO the reason that some LBC's want them some dont.
In a fire situation the cover expands internally to fill all the available space with a highly insulating fire resistant char to be honest Ant by the time a fire has got that big to start penetrating a 70mm dia hole with a downlight in it theres not much hope for the house if there were fire hoods or not. If it was such a big deal we would all be made to fit fire doors every where where at the moment its only for the 3rd storey when you convert the loft. Then you have to fit door closers on every door in the house. They stop on for all of 5 mins after the jobs been passed off by building control
I wasn't concerned with the time, so that doesnt help me personally, but thanks. I'm more concerned with that if fire does break out, making sure that we can help hold it back to meet the regs with the hoods. Until the fire brigade turn up with thier massive hoses.
Apologies to Ant and Fooman for remarks earlier. I can you are arguing a very important issue. no problem. I am not trying to cause trouble its just that when people say you MUST do this before i agree with them i like to see it written in black and white or if i disagree i show them it in black and white. Hence why i am arguing with ANT about Part P notification from 3rd party people and showed him and also supplied the link to the DPM website which clearly states the facts.
I wonder how Ant knows that firemen have massive hoses. Blue lagoon club by any chance The regs are 30 min. No hoods youve still got 30 mins. So with hoods the house burns down but the firehoods are left standing
Never mind the part p stuff anymore. If building control keep accepting the certs that my mate does for me, then i am happy til i get on the part p course. And as for the fire hoses, they are massive, i know, i've held one whilst it sprays!!! Very powerful you know
Never mind the part p stuff anymore. If building control keep accepting the certs that my mate does for me, then i am happy til i get on the part p course. yes good for you but what you going to do if say next week one of your customers rings you are says she cannot get her completion cert from building control ?? **** will hit the fan then as you would have been leading your customer up the garden path as to speak.
Never mind the part p stuff anymore. If building control keep accepting the certs that my mate does for me, is that still the bloke you do not know ??
So with hoods the house burns down but the firehoods are left standing Ripped Off. Maybe the hoods can prevent the house igniting in the first place. Those 12v lamps burn really hot......dusty voids, bits of paper you've seen it and I have seen it. I must admit I would never fit the things without fire hoods and must admit I would try and swing the customer not to having the things fitted at all. You know Wickes, and B and Q sell these diy 12v light kits for a very cheap price. The kits should be not so cheap and have fire hoods in the kit.