Flitwick has a railway station on the Midland Main Line, and blocks of flats are the sort of building we would expect to be asked about near one.
The fire stopping questions in a block are the same in every town. They sit in the riser.
The riser
A riser is the vertical shaft that carries pipes, cables and sometimes a dry riser up through the building. In a block of flats it passes through every floor.
At each floor, the slab it goes through is a fire-resisting floor. Every pipe and cable that passes through should be sealed round, on every storey.
On a survey we start at the bottom and work up. If the first floor is sealed and the second is not, the report says so, floor by floor, so you can see which are missing.
Waste pipes
Flats have plastic waste pipes that connect a kitchen or bathroom to the stack. Where they go through a floor or a wall of a service cupboard, they need a collar or wrap.
When a bathroom is refitted, the pipe is often changed and the collar is not.
Working with residents
This is the part that takes planning.
Risers and cupboards on a landing can be done without going into any flat. Notice goes up on the board and we work in the common parts.
If the work is inside flats, we need access. We give the managing agent a list of numbers and the dates, and we leave the arrangements with residents to them.
We work round the day. A block with residents at work is easier to schedule than one with people at home all day. Tell us which you have.
Cupboards on the landing
Many blocks have a cupboard on each landing with meters or cables in it. The back wall of that cupboard often has more holes than anywhere else. They go through into a neighbouring flat or a stair.
We open each one, look at all the faces and photograph them.
The records
At the end of the job we give you a record for each floor, with before and after photos. The responsible person for the building can show it to a fire risk assessor, an insurer or a buyer's solicitor.
Who pays
That depends on your lease and your service charge, and it is not our area. If you manage the block, ask your own advisers.
Getting to Flitwick
It is close to Luton. We have no office in Flitwick, and the crew is on site for the full day.
Questions we get asked
Can you seal a riser while people are using the stairs?
Usually yes. Risers are mostly off the stairs and sealed from inside.
How long does one riser take?
It depends on the floors and the number of services. We give you an estimate when we have seen photos or the survey.
Tell us the building, how many floors and what has been found. We will say what we need to see and give you a rough estimate.
Get a price