Is a mains interlinked fire alarm required when renovating property?

[dtec dave]

Evening all..just wondering if it is a building control requirement to have a mains fire alarm installed throughout the property when an extension has been built or walls knocked through to make a kitchen/diner etc. I have worked on a loft conversion last year and the building control officer insisted that there was a fire alarm system throughout the property, even though the loft was the only area been worked on. I'm thinking it's down to each council's requirements but just wondering if anybody knows? Cheers

 

[kingeri]

The loft conversion would definitely require mains interlinked smokes to be fitted, along with a fire protected stairwell as means of escape. As for the others, it usually comes down to how the changes affect the property as a whole in terms of means of escape in the event of fire. In my experience, each case is different, but the bottom line is that if building control want it, then you must do it!