Fire mark boosts timber stairs

JELD-WEN has achieved certification for its fire resisting timber staircases, which could mark a breakthrough into the low and medium rise apartment market.

The company is the first UK volume timber stair manufacturer to be certified by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), part of the BRE, for fire protected stairs. JELD-WEN products will now carry the all-important LPCB Horseshoe mark.

“This is a really exciting development as it demonstrates how timber stairs are a very real alternative to concrete for apartment buildings up to six storeys high, which will bring major cost and environmental benefits for developers,” said Ian Purkis, JELD-WEN technical director and president of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).

“Increasing numbers of developers are looking to use timber stairs for low to medium rise apartments and this certification will give them added confidence.”

Tests carried out by BRE as part of the BWF’s Stair Scheme confirmed the company’s timber stairs were effective as a means of escape even after extremely hazardous fire conditions, JELD-WEN said.

“We can now prove that timber stairs are acceptable under the Building Regulations as escape stairs, which means they are viable for mult-occupancy buildings,” said BWF Stair Scheme chairwoman Pauline Kelly.