Common fire stopping problems found in commercial buildings
The fire stopping issues most often found in commercial buildings, from unsealed cable holes to the wrong products.
Quick answer: The most common issues are unsealed holes left after new cabling, standard foam used instead of fire-rated products, the wrong product for the service, and seals damaged by later work.
Holes left after new services
The most common problem is simple: someone runs a new cable or pipe through a wall and doesn't seal it afterwards. Over the years, these gaps build up, especially above ceilings and in risers.
The wrong products
- Standard expanding foam used where a fire-rated product is needed.
- Products used on services they haven't been tested with.
- Different systems mixed together in one opening.
Damage from later work
Good fire stopping can be undone when later trades cut through it to add something new. Without a record of what was there, it's easy for this to go unnoticed.
No records
Missing records make it hard to show what's been installed and where. Keeping details of the products used and the locations sealed helps with fire risk assessments and future work.
Putting it right
Most of these problems are fixable. A survey identifies the gaps and issues, then the right products are installed to seal them. Where your electrical contractor also handles fire stopping, penetrations can be sealed as part of the same job, so new problems aren't created.
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Related service: Fire & Safety
