In Germany, even when renovating historic buildings, fire safety must comply with the same requirements as for new construction.
Since the future use of the building has not yet been fully defined—whether the floors will contain apartments, offices, or other functions—it is desirable that the fire safety measures meet enhanced standards.
Because the building is historic and retains wooden floor structures, this risk must be compensated by additional fire protection measures.
Under these conditions, hydrant cabinets are planned on the floors.
All wall-mounted and floor cabinets must have a protection class of at least IP54. Cabinets of this protection class, for example from the manufacturer Striebel & John, are made entirely of powder-coated sheet steel with a thickness of 1.6 mm. The cabinet doors are equipped with rubber seals. This is intended to improve fire protection.
Foundation
Due to the slope of the site, the base of the foundation also follows the incline, meaning the foundation is not laid strictly horizontally. It is assumed that the foundation is horizontal in the area of the gable wall. The reconstruction affects the stairwell, the former cesspit and the basement area. Otherwise, the current condition remains unchanged. The existing foundation consists of natural stone, predominantly slate. However, there are also stones of higher quality and greater strength than slate. Construction materials used for repairs should correspond to those already present in the existing building.
Load-Bearing Walls and Shear Walls
In the basement of the building, the load-bearing walls and shear walls consist of solid masonry. Before the Second World War, the staircase was also enclosed by a massive wall extending up to the attic. In order to improve fire protection, a massive load-bearing wall made of fired brick will be constructed around the vestibule.
Non-Load-Bearing Walls
All non-load-bearing walls on the residential floors and in the roof were constructed as timber-framed structures with non-frost-resistant brick infill and will be rebuilt using the same technology. The vestibule and partition walls should be designed without displacement on all floors.
Ceilings
The ceiling structures consist of wooden beams. The clay-straw plaster on the lath framework has been damaged by moisture and will be renewed during the renovation works and, if necessary, replaced with fire-resistant building materials.
Floor
The softwood floor covering also requires partial replacement in some areas. Ideally, all work should be carried out while preserving the existing structure.
Steps
The existing yellow granite steps in the shop will be reused. The staircase between the lower and upper basement levels will also be constructed from yellow granite, in the same way as the existing historic staircase.
