The Most Common Failures of Compartmentation: Residential Buildings

4 minute read
18th October 2024
By Midsummer Fire Protection

What You'll Learn Today

Fire compartmentation is a crucial safety measure in any building. It involves dividing spaces into “compartments” that act as barriers to stop fire and smoke from spreading. By containing flames within a specific area, compartmentation provides valuable time for people to escape and for emergency services to respond.

Homes, particularly houses and bungalows, are especially at risk when compartmentation fails. Unlike larger buildings, they often lack robust barriers between rooms or floors, making it easier for fire to spread quickly. Simple changes to a house’s structure—like DIY renovations or new wiring—can compromise these vital barriers, putting lives and property at greater risk.

What is Fire Compartmentation?

Fire compartmentation is a method of dividing a building into smaller, fire-resistant sections, or “compartments.” These compartments are designed to contain fire and smoke to a specific area, slowing down their spread to other parts of the building. By limiting the movement of fire and smoke, compartmentation provides more time for safe evacuation and for fire services to tackle the blaze.

In homes, compartmentation plays a vital role in protecting both lives and property. It acts as a safety buffer, reducing the chance of a fire quickly spreading through rooms or floors. For residential spaces, this measure is crucial; it can make the difference between a manageable incident and a devastating fire.

Common Causes of Compartmentation Failure in Residential Settings

Fire compartmentation can fail in homes for several reasons, often without homeowners realising it. Here are some of the most common causes:

  • Substandard Building Materials: Using materials that don’t meet fire safety standards can severely weaken compartmentation. When walls, ceilings, or floors aren’t built with fire-resistant materials, flames and smoke can pass through much more easily, increasing the risk to the entire home.
  • DIY Renovations and Alterations: Many homeowners make changes to improve their homes—adding new wiring, plumbing, or even making cosmetic upgrades. However, even small renovations can break the fire-resistant barriers if they’re done without understanding compartmentation. A simple drill through a wall or ceiling could create a hidden gap that allows fire and smoke to spread.
  • Ageing Properties: Older homes are often more vulnerable due to natural wear and tear or outdated fire-resistant materials. Over time, materials that were once effective can lose their fire resistance. Additionally, building standards have evolved, so older properties may not have the same level of protection as modern homes. These factors combined make ageing homes especially prone to compartmentation failures.

Areas in Residential Properties Most Vulnerable to Compartmentation Failure

Certain areas in homes are particularly vulnerable to compartmentation failure, often due to gaps or insufficient fire-resistant materials. Here are some of the most at-risk spaces:

  • Lofts and Attics: Lofts and attics are often overlooked when it comes to fire separation. Without proper barriers, these spaces can act like chimneys, allowing fire and smoke to move rapidly through the house. Inadequate fire separation here can lead to a fire spreading between floors in minutes.
  • Party Walls and Floors: In both individual homes and shared properties, walls and floors separating rooms or adjoining neighbours play a critical role in compartmentation. If these barriers are not properly reinforced, a fire in one area can quickly pass through to other rooms or even neighbouring homes, posing a heightened risk.
  • Around Doors and Windows: Fire-rated doors and well-sealed windows are essential for containing fire within a compartment. Doors that aren’t fire-rated or windows with insufficient seals create weak points, allowing flames and smoke to breach otherwise safe areas. These fixtures are crucial in giving residents extra time to evacuate and reducing the fire’s spread.

The Impact of Compartmentation Failure on Fire Safety

When fire compartmentation fails, it compromises fire safety dramatically. Without intact fire barriers, flames and smoke spread more rapidly, drastically reducing evacuation time and putting lives and property at greater risk.

This is particularly concerning in residential settings where compartmentation breaches are often found due to unregulated alterations, substandard materials, or age-related degradation. Such weaknesses allow fires to pass through walls, floors, and other supposed barriers more easily, which can lead to severe structural and property damage in minutes.

Statistics highlight the importance of compartmentation: in one recent analysis, compartmentation failure was noted as a factor in 15.7% of fires requiring intervention by emergency services. This reinforces that well-maintained barriers, like fire-rated doors and floors, can contain or even halt fire spread when appropriately installed and regularly inspected.

UK regulations, such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, now mandate that residential buildings over 11 metres in height undergo routine checks on fire doors to ensure compartmentation remains intact. This preventative approach addresses vulnerabilities, ensuring barriers function as intended under real fire conditions 

How To Protect Against Compartmentation Failure

To protect against compartmentation failures, residential property owners and managers can take several preventative steps:

  • Regular Inspections: Routine inspections by fire safety professionals are essential, especially after renovations or changes to a property. These experts can identify any breaches or weakened barriers that may allow fire or smoke to spread. The Fire Protection Association suggests quarterly or annual checks of fire doors and other compartmentation features for multi-storey homes, ensuring barriers remain intact and effective  .
  • Upgrading Fire-Resistant Materials: Where possible, replace outdated materials with modern, fire-rated alternatives. Using high-quality, fire-resistant insulation, doors, and structural elements can significantly strengthen compartmentation. Updated materials comply with contemporary fire safety standards, offering better protection than those in older buildings .
  • Using Qualified Contractors for Home Improvements: Engage only licensed contractors familiar with fire safety regulations for any home improvement projects. Professionals knowledgeable in compartmentation can avoid accidental breaches, such as gaps created by improperly installed wiring or plumbing. According to the Fire Protection Association, poorly executed renovations are a common cause of compromised compartmentation, so it’s critical to work with certified contractors who prioritise fire safety .

Taking these steps can greatly enhance a home’s fire resistance, keeping occupants and the structure more secure in the event of a fire.

Without effectively maintained compartmentation, lives and properties are endangered. By keeping barriers in top condition, homeowners can significantly reduce fire risks, providing more time for evacuation and allowing fire services to respond effectively.

Simple preventative measures—such as regular inspections, material upgrades, and engaging qualified contractors—are powerful steps in securing a home against the dangers of compartmentation failure.

Assessing and improving fire safety compliance doesn’t just ensure you are meeting regulations. It offers occupants peace of mind.

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