OpenPlannedHomeowner Open Planned Interview – 14.05.16
What is your name?
Tom
What problems occurred during the design that required a fire suppression system and how were these problems overcome?
We removed a wall, which meant that the only exit was through the kitchen so we needed to have a sprinkler installed for fire safety.
Who informed you of the need of a fire suppression system?
It was a Local Authority Approved Inspector from Building Control.
At what stage did you discover that a fire suppression system was required?
It was during the build process, and we’d already knocked down the walls, so it was quite late into the project. Fortunately, FireFend were able to install the fire suppression system quickly.
Did you look at any alternatives to Automist/Smartscan?
We did look at another sprinkler system, but it meant having pipes through the ceiling and we were told that if the water pressure wasn’t high enough, we’d also need a large tank, which they said would need a space the size of a small room! That wouldn’t work for us as we needed something compact that was small enough to fit in a cupboard. Automist seemed the perfect system.
What would be your description of Automist Smartscan?
Very modern looking…very slick…pretty high tech. Its quite a conversation piece.
How did you find the service and installation experience with FireFend?
Really good. They seemed very experienced. We hadn’t put the Smartscan in the right position so we needed a really long pipe. FireFend sorted that out there and then.
How long did it take to install?
The installation took about 5 hours because we needed the pipe along with various bits of snagging. Otherwise it was a very quick fit.
Kitchen Refurbishment Project – East London
How easy did you find it as a homeowner to get your head around building regulations?
It wasn’t easy. I have a builder friend who I leant on for information, but even he didn’t know everything. Building regulations can be tricky and building control aren’t always that helpful. You can’t just get them over to ask all your questions when you need to, so a really experienced builder is very useful.
Where would you go to learn more about building regulations?
Searching online can be a bit of a minefield as it’s not always clear if it’s a UK or US website you’re on and the regulations might not be applicable to your area or your type of property. We’re leasehold and ex-local authority where the council is the freeholder, so it’s a little more complicated.
Visit the project story: Beautiful, Modern Kitchen Refurbishment In East London Property