When thinking about and planning fire safety measures, penetration sealing is a measure that is often overlooked. This needs to change; fire stopping should be up the top of the priority list.
What is Fire Stopping?
Fire stopping is a form of fire protection that creates a seal around gaps and openings in a building, such as around doors and ceilings. Sealing can stop a fire and its fumes from spreading to other rooms, meaning fires can be contained.
Stopping the spread of fire between rooms is one of the most effective ways to prevent fires from totally devastating big buildings, such as residential flats, alongside measures such as fire doors. It also allows time for residents to evacuate from the building and reach safety.
What Are The Legal Requirements Around Fire Stopping?
There are legal obligations requiring businesses to install fire protection measures, these obligations apply to the existing building and new build, for both residential and non-residential premises. The Building Regulations 2010 states that ‘buildings shall be designed and constructed so that the unseen spread of fire and smoke within concealed spaces in its structure and fabric is inhibited.’ Section 10.2 of the regulations states that fire stopping must be applied to joints and openings between fire-separating elements.
How Does Fire Stopping Work?
Building compartments such as ceilings, walls and floors, can stop the spread of fire and fumes, but only for a certain time frame. This is as they shut off rooms from each other, but the problem here is that these structures often have gaps and openings, primarily commercial buildings with a high number of pipes and electrical cables.
Fire stopping further stops the spread of fire as it fills these gaps, sealing the structures and blocking fire and fumes. It is vital to stop fumes as well as flames, as statistics show more deaths are caused by smoke inhalation than burns.
Who Can Install Fire Stopping?
Professionals must fit your fire stopping. When done by professionals, you can ensure the materials used meet safety standards and that the process is completed correctly. If your fire stopping is fitted by somebody who isn’t qualified, you can’t ensure full compliance, and you will also be voiding your property insurance if a fire does occur and you need to claim.
Here at London Fire Solutions, all of our products are tested to meet requirements, and we are certified FIREFLY Installers.
What Fire Stopping Products are Available?
There are many different fire stopping products available, but here are a few examples.
Fire Barriers
The materials used to make fire barriers expand when exposed to high temperatures, and this is how they can stop the spread of fire and fumes through gaps in ceilings, walls, and floors. There are many types of fire barriers available, providing a different level of protection depending on the project requirements.
Fire Curtains
Fire curtains can be fixed in place or activated by an alarm, signal or switch, to enable safe evacuation whilst preventing fire spreading. Curtains can provide 120 minutes of fire protection in both occupied and vacant properties.
If you want to find out further information about fire stopping and the protection it can provide, here at London Fire Solutions, we have years of experience. Contact us today, and we are more than happy to help.