Loft conversion - sprinkler system

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Hey everyone. We’re getting our loft done next year, and have an open plan corrodor/kitchen downstairs. For fire regs we have two options - a stud wall and door built in the hallway which we could then remove after approval has been sought. Or, a sprinkler system.

i’m erring towards the sprinkler system, but wondering if anyone has these and what they’re like? Do they need regular maintaining? What happens if they go off by mistake (like a smoke alarm might) don’t they get everything wet?!

keen to hear what others who have done think of it.

Yes they would get everything wet if they go off

@DrPrunesqualerBut do they go off as easily as smoke detectors? Thats what I don’t understand.

technically they detect smoke and go off.
Will burning toast be enough to set them off, depends how quick you realise so yes I would imagine to.

They can also be set off by low batteries, high humidity and all sorts.
Personally I wouldn’t have them in a home

If you post a plan there may be an alternative. But basically you will need a half hour fire protected escape route.

I thought that sprinklers go off at higher levels of smoke/heat than smoke detectors. So don’t go off by accident anywhere near as often, or for the first sign of burnt toast. Certainly when I worked in residential accommodation fitted with both, we regularly had the smoke detectors go off, but never the sprinklers.

Sprinklers aren’t really appropriate in a domestic home situation - yes they are expensive to maintain and it’s going to cause a lot of disruption and mess to retrofit into an already completed home

I’d go with the doorway and wall in the hall

id also reconsider taking it down once you’ve had approval ….if there ever was a fire could you live with yourself if someone was injured or worse? Removing it may also invalidate your insurance
you’d also have to put it back in when you sell

Thanks guys! It’s a mist system as opposed to a sprinkler system

@northernlightnightswe could have the wall and door, but firstly our hall and stairs are weirdly aligned, but doable. But also, if we pulled it down after, would that not invalidate any insurance if we were to have a fire and we’d pulled it down?

This is what I assumed must be the case. Else no one would get them fitted surely!

Yes it would invalidate your insurance and
you could be up for manslaughter if anyone dies

Oh sorry @northernlightnights I’ve just realised you answered my question in your post. So this is why we don’t really want to do that! Although it what our builder is suggesting.

Yeah that’s what we figured. So really we don’t have much choice. Having a door and wall would be totally ruin our downstairs layout.

Would be nice to hear from anyone who has the misting system and what it’s like. In case anyone is reading this thread and can divulge!

I don't know if it helps but we had a pocket sliding fire door fitted to our kitchen .

It takes up no space and meets all regs.

He would. It’s expensive so he’ll get more.
im such a synic though

Have you got a plan to post
Sometimes there’s a way round things
I assume your loft extension is on a third floor

We were in a similar situation and went for pocket doors. When open, you can’t tell there are doors.

Ok thanks! We have quite a weird space to put the door in, it would have to sort of start halfway along the stairs. So can’t imagine how it would look. But I’ll Google some images- thank you!

good idea. so this is the downstairs. The red wall is what has been removed. I don’t think a pocket door will work as there’s nowhere for the door to slide into (the side I’ve marked in green has the fridge and stuff)

image is under review. And yes, it’ll be on the third floor

We had the same issue when putting in a fourth floor with the exit through the open plan kitchen.

We have a large grill in the staircase wall, with a huge fan behind it rather than having doors or a sprinkler system. The fan was cheaper than the sprinkler system and meets all regulations.

Saying that we had an Airbnb with a sprinkler system. I managed to set off the smoke alarm, grilling bacon…my DH was in such a flap thinking the whole house (1.5m worth😳) was going to be soaked…but however it works, it didn't ‘sprinkle’ at that point!

Is there not a solution to have the door upstairs?

@Ilovemyshed The door is designed to protect the staircase, so it won’t work if it’s above the staircase, the ground floor staircase would be consumed by fire from the kitchen and there’d be no escape route.

That’s interesting! Have you got a photo of something similar you can show me? I can’t picture it

We have them and have had no problems with them at all. They do not go off because of burnt toast!

Hmm not really as the upstairs doesn’t lead into a corridor. So again not sure where it would go. Plus I’m not really sure I want doors in our nice open spaces! But thanks anyway 🙂