Chester House, a Grade II Listed Elizabethan townhouse that is
now home to Knowle Library in the West Midlands, has been equipped
with XPander Apollo's new range of wireless detectors.
Chester House was originally built in the 16th century as two
adjacent dwellings, which it is thought were used by local
craftsmen as combined workshops and homes. In the 17th century,
these dwellings were converted to form a larger building, possibly
a farmhouse or an inn. Then, during the 19th century, the building
appears to have been divided again into three separate dwellings
before being converted back into one building in the 20th
century
After being used as an antique shop for many years, Chester
House became the property of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
in 1972. Following a complete restoration programme, the building
opened as Knowle Library in 1975.
When looking to upgrade the library's fire system in 2008, the
Council's specification called for an analogue addressable
automatic fire detection system designed to BS5839-1:2002 L4 while
also being sympathetic to the heritage areas of the building.
Monument Fire Detection Systems Ltd, who designed, supplied and
installed the new fire detection system, recommended Apollo's
XPander range to protect the building's 16th century vaulted
ceiling and exposed beams, which could have been damaged by
hard-wired devices.
Easy to install and connect to the fire system via an interface
which is wired to the loop, XPander also helped Monument Fire
Detection Systems to overcome installation difficulties presented
by the extensive vaulted ceiling.
Jim Eccles, Director of Monument Fire Detection Systems Ltd,
comments: "XPander's easy wireless installation made the Knowle
Library project achievable within the time scale and ensured that
the strict English Heritage requirements including no obtrusive
wiring and no drilling or damage to the structure were overcome
without difficulty."
The new fire detection system is configured around a single loop
Ampac SP1M control panel and programmed to enable a one-out,
all-out evacuation.