ᐅ Is a manual override for roller shutters on a window required?
Created on: 28 Jun 2016 13:12
F
fraubauer
Hello,
I have the following problem.
My windows and balcony door are equipped with electric roller shutters. (I have a condominium in a multi-family building. It was built as a turnkey project.)
During the final inspection of the apartment, an inspector stated that the kitchen window or the balcony door must have an emergency release. There could be a power outage, and in an emergency, the roller shutters would not be openable. Because if there is a fire in the hallway (my apartment is on the upper floor), I would neither be able to ventilate the smoke nor escape onto the balcony. My kitchen window opens onto the balcony.
So, either a manual crank (in which case the roller shutter motor must be replaced; radio control would no longer work) or a battery backup (which is not available from my roller shutter manufacturer).
I have already informed the roller shutter installer about this. He is not aware of any regulations or requirements.
Of course, I want to avoid any problems with, among others, the household/building insurance if such a situation should occur.
Who can definitively tell me whether I really have to have a window equipped with an emergency release?
And who must cover the costs of the modification? The roller shutter installer should know this if it is indeed required!
My property developer only learned about this from the inspector at the final inspection, so they could not warn us earlier...
I am quite desperate...
Thank you very much
erika
I have the following problem.
My windows and balcony door are equipped with electric roller shutters. (I have a condominium in a multi-family building. It was built as a turnkey project.)
During the final inspection of the apartment, an inspector stated that the kitchen window or the balcony door must have an emergency release. There could be a power outage, and in an emergency, the roller shutters would not be openable. Because if there is a fire in the hallway (my apartment is on the upper floor), I would neither be able to ventilate the smoke nor escape onto the balcony. My kitchen window opens onto the balcony.
So, either a manual crank (in which case the roller shutter motor must be replaced; radio control would no longer work) or a battery backup (which is not available from my roller shutter manufacturer).
I have already informed the roller shutter installer about this. He is not aware of any regulations or requirements.
Of course, I want to avoid any problems with, among others, the household/building insurance if such a situation should occur.
Who can definitively tell me whether I really have to have a window equipped with an emergency release?
And who must cover the costs of the modification? The roller shutter installer should know this if it is indeed required!
My property developer only learned about this from the inspector at the final inspection, so they could not warn us earlier...
I am quite desperate...
Thank you very much
erika
Would this also be the case with a general contractor? We have electric roller shutters and venetian blinds everywhere, and this topic was actually never discussed. We did the electrical work and interior finishing ourselves, but the windows, roller shutters, and roller shutter motors were installed by the general contractor.
Here in North Rhine-Westphalia, a second emergency exit is mandatory, and for our first house, the building authority immediately raised this issue—the general contractor was not aware of this regulation. It was then planned accordingly with a manual crank on each floor. For the second house with the same general contractor, seven years later, I already knew about this and pointed it out right away. This time, however, we insisted on having a roller shutter motor with both electric drive and a manual crank. At first, they said ‘that’s not possible, it doesn’t exist,’ but if I can buy such a product online, it clearly does exist for the general contractor as well. Ours are from Somfy. Since we have home automation to control the roller shutters, having only a manual crank was completely out of the question. It was implemented this way and that was that.
So, both the building authority paid attention to this requirement during the permit process and also during the city’s final inspection before move-in (approval for occupancy).
So, both the building authority paid attention to this requirement during the permit process and also during the city’s final inspection before move-in (approval for occupancy).
F
fraubauer29 Jun 2016 16:12So, I have now received information from the building authority. Two escape routes are required! One is the apartment door, and the other is through a window accessible to the fire department. The window must also be able to be opened from the inside during a power outage. Therefore, it needs to have a manual strap, crank, or battery backup. Really great. Why didn’t either the builder or the roller shutter installer tell us this? Now I’m stressed about who will modify what and how...
T
toxicmolotof29 Jun 2016 17:20I don’t see any problem at all. If I remember correctly, you bought from the developer.
So, for now, I only see your task as dealing with one letter.
So, for now, I only see your task as dealing with one letter.
Similar topics