fire doors regulations - do you have to have a door to your lounge?

[likeatonneofbricks]

My kitchen is off the living room in the new place, there is a doorway but no door to the kitchen, while there is a door (fire door) to lounge from the hall. I want to have the kitchen door as I don't like open plan, Can I move existing door (to the lounge) to the kitchen doorway, really to save the money on buying a whole new door, the size seems fine? I'm concerned that it's now illegal not to have doors to all rooms (but it doesn't make much sense as kitchen is more fire-risky than lounge yet there are so many open planned ones (or semi open with no doors). No idea where to get info on this, so at least that would help, if no one knows for sure. Thank you!

how many floors in your house, including the loft conversion and the basement? Or is it a flat?

how many families or unconnected individuals live in it?

it's a flat PG. there is one flat above, one below. The hall is small and has doors from it to bedrooms, lounge and utility room. I could use the utility door instead but isn;'t that worse as the boiler is there (I'd rather leave it there)? If lounge door gets moved to the kitchen it'd be practically in the same place as the doorway are eacj side on the same corner.

sorry, PJ I meant!

If it's a flat, I believe you have to have a protected passage to the exit door, so that smoke and flames from any other room can't come through and prevent you getting out.

A new door need not be expensive, especially taking into account the work of taking and old one off and refitting it to a different doorway.

Unless you're having work done that requires building regs approval you can do what you like with doors. But, as John has pointed out, there is a reason for the regulations, to provide you with the best chance of escape if there's a fire.

thank you PJ and nocake. THe thing is the hallway is tiny and has all these doors off it! I mean it's only going to be affected if the fire was in the living room, but otherwise all rooms and cloakroom have doors (and chances of fire in living room much smaller as no electric heaters or anything else. I've been quoted 50 pounds for moving the door - sounds extremely reasonable, could I buy new door for less (and paint it too by someone)? and if so, where to buy?
nocake do you mean I can't be held accountable (I'm not doing any such works) - the previous owners wher doing works which require building regs and on the plans there was a door to kitchen, but they have never installed it, and tbh it could as well be seen as semi open planned so probably regs would allow that. But I'm very annoyed that they didn't do it.

and obviously new door also would incur cost for fitting.

If you are under buildings regulations, you need to have self-closing fire doors to all habitable rooms - bedrooms and living room.

It seems that you have a fire door to your living room? And that there is a fire door between the kitchen and habitable rooms?

If you want to install a new door, this is one area where it is worth paying the experts. Hanging a door and getting it right is very tricky.

I would caution against a cheap door if you are after fire protection.

I'm not DIY ing Claire.
No there is no door between lounge and kitchen - and I want one. But there is a fire door to lounge (it's the one i wanted to move to the kitchen, and leave no door to lounge from hall.
Well, am I under building regs? as i said I'm not doing any works.

Having taught 2 children from a family where 4 children died in a house fire (they had taken some of the internal doors off in their house for reasons not known to me) I'm a bit anal about having doors, not only in situ, but closed as a course of habit.
When I had the fire service round to do one of those home safety checks, they said closing your kitchen door (any old door, not a special fire protection one) will give you another 3 mins or so in case of a fire, to escape.

well I do want the door to the kitchen, BackforGood, the only room with no door would be living room from which the tiny hall leads to the front door - I'd think the least risky of all. But could anyone fine me or anything for the lack of fire door, or is it not enforceble??

It would depend on if/when you move home I think. We had the loft converted so had to follow building regs as we plan to move house at some point and will need the certificate.

When we moved into our current home doors and fire regulations were not raised or an issue and we have an open plan living area with no dividing walls or doors for the kitchen.

two-storey houses are different as you have the option of jumping out of a window.

so any advice on how much a new door would cost, andfrom where to buy?
sounds like it's a better option.
PJ well depends on ceiling height. In small houses, yes. I'm on first floor but very high ceiling on the ground fl and a smaller basement storey as well.

or I could move the lounge door but if and when I move house, can just put it back on that unaltered frame.

I strongly recommend lift-off hinges if you want to move doors around. However it will probbaly not be a perfect fit in both doorways, you will have to get it planed to fit the smaller.

Fire doors are shockingly heavy, and are thicker than ordinary internal doors so are not easily swappable and will need three strong hinges.

A professional joiner can fit a door far quicker and better than anyone else, even a competent DIYer or handyman.

A fire door, if a flat flush one, might cost as little as door&af=cat1:firedoors&isort=price&method=and&view=grid&cnt=30 £30 though better ones cost more

A hollow flush door, made of air with a thin wrapping of cardboard or ply and complete rubbish, might cost around door&af=pb:03&isort=price&method=and&view=grid&cnt=30 £25

There is probably a door merchant in your town with some special offers on.

In your position I would leave the lounge door where it is, and buy an additional inexpensive one for the kitchen.

sorry that didn't work

Try these links

door&af=cat1:firedoors&isort=price&method=and&view=grid&cnt=30 fire door

door&af=pb:03&isort=price&method=and&view=grid&cnt=30 cheap door

I give up.

If you're just planning to fit a new door or move a door then no, you won't need building regs approval.

Hi there any advice would be appreciated :)
I live in social housing and have recently had a new gas combination boiLerwick fitted in a cupboard under the stairs - after a lot of deliberation the contractors then informed me that the cupboard had to be fitted with fire retardant boards ( even though the job had been passed off) however the door to the cupboard is a flimsy cardboard thing with no fire resistance at all - if there where to be a fire it would immediately affect our exit - should there be some fire protection on the door as well or is this acceptable? Thank you