Typically, the answer is yes. Because a mezzanine is another floor in your building, as soon as you add a floor that people can use, you are dealing with Building Regulations. What is involved depends more on the size of the floor, uses of the floor, the number of people that will be using the floor, and this is the portion of the job that some suppliers don’t want to talk about because including it will make their estimate more expensive than the estimate of a supplier who has left it out. It is good to have some knowledge about this before making a purchase.
Why a mezzanine is Not a Shelf
Mezzanines are not large office furniture. A sheet of wood that can be used as a storage surface is very different. A shelf that is large enough to work on or that has a large enough storage area to work in, or that has office or production space is no longer a storage surface and has become an integral part of the building and clearly must be passed for approval. In Northern Ireland, this must be approved by the local district council’s building control.
Fire protection is unique
Fires often catch people off guard from a cost perspective. Typically, mezzanines of a particular size and larger, require fire protection on their steel structures. This means adding fire resistant cladding to the steel columns and the underside of the steel floors. The design of fire protection is logical. During a fire, floors must support the weight of evacuated people. The adequacy of escape routes, how fire protections systems, and the number and position of staircases are accounted for in the evaluations.
This is how a cheap quote and a correct quote differ the most. When protection is inexpensive, fire protection is often the first thing that is checked to determine if it is included.
Means of escape and loading
Two of the other major considerations are escape and loading. Escape refers to the protection of people as they exit, and it dictates the number and design of stairs, while loading refers to the design of the floor, which must support the load of everything that it is intended to carry. The design of a storage and office floor is completely different, so it is essential to determine the use from the outset.
Don’t let this discourage you.
Although this is a lot of information, it actually occurs frequently. Building a mezzanine is typically much less expensive than purchasing a larger building. The goal is to anticipate that obtaining approval and integrating fire protection are part of the process, not added bonuses, and that you will partner with a supplier who includes these components in the design and quote, rather than surprising you later. We offer this service, and you can find additional information on our mezzanine floors in the link.