- This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 9 months ago by .
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Topic
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If peepholes in front doors were not original to the buildings and various owners have gradually installed them at their own expense, is a by-law needed to “legitimise” them retrospectively ?
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I’d be checking with your fire regulations/fire safety people first that the peep holes haven’t reduced the fire rating on the doors before you ratify anything.
This might help:
A peephole does not necessarily invalidate the fire rating of a door. Our doors, installed as part of a fire safety upgrade some 10 years ago, came with peepholes, and have passed successive inspections ever since.
Correct… those peepholes installed by the door suppliers would have a fire rating that’s at least equal to that of the door, and there are peepholes available after-market that have a 4 hour fire rating, but the problem is that residents typically buy the el-cheapo versions and then compromise the fire rating of their entry door/s.
Idafun‘s answer depends upon whether those entry doors are fire rated; so?
Idafun – In the circumstances that you’ve now explained, I doubt very much that the entry doors would be fire-rated, and quite frankly I wouldn’t be worried about a Special By-Law that’s only purpose would be to retrospectively consent to those; if they fail then let the Lot Owner replace them.
From what you say I’d doubt that these are fire doors, unlike in a block where entrances are off common stairways and internal hallways. Check around the door, are the door frames metal (cold to touch and a magnet will attach), if not the doors are likely to be non-fire rated. Fire doors also have a metal label attached on the hinged side edge, (sometimes painted over).