Mezzanine Flooring FAQs
1. Is a site survey required?
A site survey is nearly always recommended by QA Workspace as it allows a member of our team to discuss the specific requirements of your mezzanine, how you wish to use it & your overall unit. QA Workspace offers a consultative service to all their clients to ensure the end solution is the most efficient for your operation. Having worked with countless clients over almost 30 years QA are industry experts, which means at the survey stage QA can make sure all essential considerations are taken into account.
2. Will the mezzanine floor require Building Regulation approval?
Building Regulations is required for almost all mezzanine floor installations. QA Workspace are able to provide calculations, design, specification and drawings to help support your application.
3 .Will QA take responsibility for obtaining building regulations?
QA Workspace are happy to create the application on your behalf. We do not charge for the calculations, preparation of drawings and specification needed. All that we pass on to you is the statutory fees charged by the Local Authority or Approved Building Inspector.
4. Can I obtain approval before I commit to placing a mezzanine order with QA?
This is possible, however, we will require a purchase order for the initial survey, loading calculations and any design and drawings that need to be submitted to the Local Authority. As mentioned before we do not charge for this gaining Building Regulations approval. If the installation does not go ahead we would then charge a nominal fee to cover our costs. This fee could then be reimbursed if the installation was then to take place again in the future.
5. Can I install the mezzanine floor before I have obtained Building Regulations approval?
QA Workspace are able to commence with your mezzanine project within 48 hours of submitting the application for Building Regulations to the Local Authority.
6 .Who makes sure that the mezzanine floor design, manufacture an installation is fully compliant with all Building Regulations and Fire Safety standards?
The QA Workspace team are all completely up to date with the latest regulations & will take full responsibility for ensuring your project is fully compliant.
7. Do I need planning permission when installing new mezzanine flooring?
In nearly all cases you will not need any Planning Permission if it is a fully demountable structure and all the changes are internal. You will need to have Building Regulations Approval.
8. What are the size restrictions for mezzanine flooring?
Building Regulations do not limit the size, shape or height of the new mezzanine floor. The Government has been trying to control the expansion of retail space in out of town developments and has also brought in a legislation which requires planning permission for floors greater than 200 square meters. You can add multiple floors less 200 square meters without requiring planning permission.
9. How will a new mezzanine floor affect my business rates?
When a mezzanine floor is used for warehouse or storage purposes only then it does not normally attract increased rate. If the new mezzanine flooring is used for office accommodation it sometimes can do – make sure you check with your landlord/managing agent.
10. Will the mezzanine floor need to be fire rated and protected?
The issue of fire protection under mezzanine floors is covered under part B of the Building Regulations, and unprotected mezzanine floors are allowed on a few occasions, these include;
- If the mezzanine floor is a single tier and used for storage purposes only.
- The number of people likely to be on the floor is low and does not include members of the general public.
- The floor does not exceed 20m in length or width and does not exceed 50% of the floor area of the space in which it is situated.
- The floor has adequate means of escape.
It is important to mention that the Building Regulations are purely guidelines and allow for individual interpretation, which could vary the above conditions.
11. When do I need to have a protected escape route?
A protected route will be required if offices or a production floor is resident on the new mezzanine structure. This will also depend on the size and number of existing fire exits. Fire rated partitioning and doors can be installed around one of the staircases to form a lobby which will lead to an existing external fire door. This is to make sure your building has a protected escape route.
12. Do I need to obtain my landlord’s permission?
In most cases, you will need to inform your Landlord of the proposed changes, to make sure that you are complying with the terms and conditions of your lease if this is a condition. It is a very good idea to share the mezzanine flooring design drawings with them and to inform them of the Building Regulation Approval. The simplest thing to do is to send a copy of all correspondence to your Local Authority or Approved Building Inspector as well as your landlord.
13. What will be the disruption and impact on my business during the mezzanine floor installation?
The area where the mezzanine floor is to be situated will need to be isolated whilst the installation is taking place for health and safety reasons. The area will need to be clear and provide QA Workspace’s installation team with unrestricted access to the area, with all utilities and services available, so that our team can install your mezzanine flooring safely. Mezzanine flooring is incredibly quick to install, so disruption in your work environment will not be long-lasting.
14. Can I make changes to the original mezzanine floor design?
We are able to make changes within two weeks of agreeing on the original mezzanine design. Any changes after that time frame may result in a delay and potential additional costs.
15. What additional costs could be involved?
You will need to consider fire protection, emergency lighting, smoke alarms, fire alarms and safety signage – QA Workspace offer a turnkey solution to many of our customers and would be happy to include these items in our cost plan for you.
16. How long does it take to install a mezzanine floor?
Based on a clear site, our mezzanine installation team can fit up to 50 square meters per day.
17. How long does the complete process take?
The complete process typically will take up to 2 – 3 weeks from order to completion. The length of time will heavily depend on the size, use and finish of the individual project.
18. Can we put machinery and have people work on the mezzanine?
Yes, absolutely. QA Workspace will ensure that the mezzanine’s design is adequate to meet your requirements, and will perform all the loading calculations using British Standard loading tables.
19. What can a mezzanine floor be used for?
Mezzanines are extremely versatile and can be used for anything that requires additional space. The most common uses are to provide extra storage space, office space, warehouse space, production areas, workrooms, retail space & canteens.
20. Will the mezzanine floor require disabled access?
The topic of disabled access is covered in the Building Regulations Part M. Mezzanines used for storage purposes will not normally require disabled access. Mezzanine for other uses such as offices, retail spaces, production areas and canteens etc, may require disabled access subject to the layout of the building, Local Authority or Approved Inspector requirements.
Staircases suitable for disabled access have to comply with Building Regulations Part M, usually, they have to be 1200mm wide, 170mm high and have to have a mid-landing between every 12 steps.
QA Workspace would be more than happy to advise you of possible requirements.
21. How many tiers of mezzanine flooring can I have?
It is possible to have multiple tiers of Mezzanine Flooring, dependent upon the height available within your building.
22. I want to maximise the space available beneath my mezzanine floor – How can I achieve this?
We aim to design your new Mezzanine Floor with a minimum number of columns to give you more space available beneath the new flooring. A typical economical grid for a mezzanine floor is around 4.5m x 4.5m.
23. How can I be sure that Health & Safety standards are being adhered to during the installation?
At QA Workspace all of our team members are fully trained and have the skills, experience & licences required, and are insured to use any equipment needed for the installation process. Our team are also monitored and audited by our Health and Safety Team on every project.
Partitioning FAQs
1. Is partitioning suitable for a high ceiling?
QA Workspace offers a range of different partitioning options which allow us to reach the full height of the ceiling in your building, meaning that we are confident that we can accommodate this request. However, it is important to mention that most glass modules are often lower than 3000mm in height.
2. Is partitioning portable or movable?
The design of our partitioning means that it can be taken down and relocated at any time to suit the needs of your workspace.
3. Can I choose the design of our partitions?
There are many different kinds of partitioning, to suit a number of applications. We are able to match any partitioning to the design you need. QA Workspace can also apply manifestations which can include your company colours and logos to any glass partitions to bring a professional, branded appearance to your workspace.
4. Can QA help me create an office space within my warehouse?
Yes, the team at QA Workspace have the required skills and experience to create an office in your warehouse. We have done this for numerous clients over the past few years. Installing partitioning will allow you to have all of the benefits of an office space without the hassle of relocating to a larger office.
5. Can QA manage the project?
QA Workspace in ‘turnkey’ projects. They will assign a dedicated project manager to oversee your build, who will create a programme of works, & coordinate all different trades involved in the build, to ensure every aspect of the work is completed to a high standard the first time.
6. Can the refurbishment take place when staff are not working eg. evenings or weekends?
If an office refurbishment during normal working hours does not suit you and your business then QA Workspace can arrange to complete projects on a weekend or during the evenings when your employees are not in the building.
7. Will I need to apply for building control?
You may need to contact building control if you are changing the use of the area within your premises. Some large projects require signing off by building control to ensure they meet Health & Safety standards.
Here at QA Workspace, we are more than happy to provide you with the appropriate details to apply to building control or we can do this on your behalf if need be.
8. We are leaving our premises and need to take down our partitioning, can you help?
Our team would be more than happy to help take down any partitioning that we have installed previously. Please contact us directly on 0117 911 5636 for this service.