No Key holes on internal doors - New Build

E

eimsRV

Registered User
Messages
124
Hi all,

Did final snag for my house today and strangely all the internal doors of the house (except the bathroom doors) have no key hole. We removed one of the handles and there is space for a key hole in the frame of the door, and also a lock in place. However when we checked with the foreman he said thats the way things are done now, and they cant get certification if they have key holes - due to fire risks. Anyone know if this is true?

Eims
 
Is it some new safety rule that requires that internal doors (other than bathroom door) are not lockable? I seem to recall something about that but I could be wrong.
 
First ive heard of that one.......

Theres no specific mention in section 1.5 of the Fire regs (TGD B) about any of this, but if anyone has further information id be interested in hearing it.

OP, is your house 3 storey perhaps??? are the doors self closing???
i wonder if its specific to self closing fire doors required in 3 storey buildings... ie maybe the keyhole compromises the integrity of the fire door.
 
sydthebeat said:
OP, is your house 3 storey perhaps??? are the doors self closing???
i wonder if its specific to self closing fire doors required in 3 storey buildings... ie maybe the keyhole compromises the integrity of the fire door.
Click to expand...

No the house is a 2 storey house, and the doors are not self closing.
There is a lock, just no key hole on the handle - so I could actually change the handles but I'd have no key for the existing lock.
The foreman made out that it was in case you'd lock the door and then couldnt escape if there was a fire.
 
Can you get the name of the professional that certified the building, and ask him his opinion?
As far as i know, theres no restriction in the fire regs for door handle locks.... there most certianly is for windows though. Maybe im wrong?

Are you saying that there is a standard deadbolt lock incorporated into the door but the door handle hasnt a key hole??? Thats a bit unusual. Surely if there is regulation (somewhere?) that requires the doors not to be lockable, why would they incorporate a lock into the door???
 
If I was asked for my best guess I would say they have ordered lever/latch handles either by mistake or because they are cheaper than lever/lock - lever/latch is just a handle on a back plate, lever/lock is the same but with the kehole cut into the back plate.

Are there locksets fitted to the doors with a corresponding strikeplate on the frame? If so, have the doors be routed out to allow a key to opperate the lock? If this is the case it's a very simple job to change the handles (so long as you use the same models or find others that will cover the srcew holes in the door).

Hope this helps...
 
Sounds like the builder ran out of the correct handles and nipped out to the local DIY shop and picked up what he could..
 
PetrolHead said:
Are there locksets fitted to the doors with a corresponding strikeplate on the frame? If so, have the doors be routed out to allow a key to opperate the lock? If this is the case it's a very simple job to change the handles (so long as you use the same models or find others that will cover the srcew holes in the door).

Hope this helps...
Click to expand...

Yes thats the way they are set up. Everything is in place - except for there is no hole in the handle piece. when we remove the handle piece you can see the key hole in the wood, and from the side you can see the lock. But the builders don't have keys for these locks! So I guess I'd need to change both the handle and the lock! I'm guessing like you guys said that they did it on the cheap!!

Thanks all for your help. I'm following up with the foreman to find out about the fire regs and let ye know!

E
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top