Fire Stopping Products

What is a Fire Stop?

An essential component of passive fire protection, fire stops are physical barriers and obstructions designed to prevent fire, toxic gases and deadly smoke from spreading through a building. They help to contain the spread of a fire by creating fire resistant compartments, which subdivide the building, ensuring any openings and gaps are fire stopped. This helps to restrict both horizontal and vertical fire spread.

Here we explain some of the most common and effective fire stopping products.

Intumescent Acrylic Sealant

Acrylic sealants are one of the most popular fire stopping products. They provide a non-hardening flexible seal to ensure that the passage of smoke, toxic gases and fire is suppressed. Suitable for static linear joints in walls and floors, for sealing annular joints around pipes, fire collars and fire sleeves/wraps, as well as cracks in concrete and plaster, most acrylic fire sealants are fire resistant and smoke tight for up to 4 hours.

Providing excellent adhesion to many porous substrates, they’re easy to install and can usually be overpainted approximately 48 hours after installation. It’s worth noting that for maximum protection, when there is a risk of fire on both sides of the substrate, the sealant should be installed on both sides.

Other types of sealants include silicone and graphite.

Fire Resistant Boards & Barriers

Often used in interior walls, ceilings and roofs, fire resistant boards and barriers are comprised of various additives and a high-density core to enhance their fireproof qualities. They extend from the floor-to-floor or floor-to-roof so that the building is sub-divided into different portions. They can be supported by structures like roofs, columns or floors and restrict the initial flow of heat within the area of origin – typically having a 2 to 3-hour fire-resistance rating – thus providing building occupants with adequate time to evacuate to safety.

Making sure all fire boards and barriers are properly maintained is crucial to the integrity of a building and the safety of those occupying it. If they become damaged at all, even a small hole or crack, if it’s enough to allow fire to pass through, the lives of those in the building are at risk.

Fire Compounds

Formulated using a fast setting gypsum-based mixture, fire compounds help to prevent the spread of fire by providing a reliable seal around service penetrations in walls and floors. Intended for use as a gap filling material where cables, ducts or pipework services penetrate fire compartment walls and floors, they’re a maintenance free and long-term fire stopping solution. They’re also suitable for use in load bearing solutions with light foot traffic.

Fire Pillows

Providing a temporary or permanent fire stopping solution, fire pillows help to prevent the spread of fire where cables penetrate fire compartment walls and floors. They are packed tightly around and in between the penetrating cables, expanding and forming a seal around the cables in the event of a fire.

They are simple to install, require no maintenance and are suitable for metal pipework, cables and electrical trunking.

Fire Curtains

Made of fire-resistant fibreglass, a fire curtain is another effective fire stopping measure. Acting as a barrier and dividing the building into compartments when there is a fire, they can be fitted either vertically or horizontally to block an opening and stop fire spreading between two areas.

Some curtains are permanently in place, whereas others are linked to the building’s fire alarm system and automatically descend when there is an outbreak of fire.

Fire Stopping Cost & Prices

For the best and most competitive fire stopping product prices, we strongly recommend getting a quote from one of our passive fire protection specialists today. We’ll listen to your needs and advise on the best products for your specific requirements. We are passionate and confident about being able to deliver the highest level of protection to our clients, so make sure you get in touch with us for the best advice and assistance regarding protecting your building from fire.

Regardless of your budget and the size of your building, we’re sure to have a solution for you.

Fire Stopping Installation Bristol

Here at CPFP, we specialise in providing industry leading penetration sealing and fire stopping services to clients, main contractors and sub-contractors. Based in Bristol, we operate across the UK, compartmentalising buildings and sealing cavities created by cables, ventilation and piping.

We have experience in installing a whole host of fire stopping products at a wide range of buildings, such as hospitals, schools, government buildings, industrial factories, distribution centres and residential buildings.

To find out more about our passive fire protection services and how we can help, please don’t hesitate to contact our team today.