Our Guide to Fire Stopping
What is fire stopping?
Fire stopping is best defined as the sealing of any openings to prevent fire (including smoke and heat) from passing through multiple building compartments. The spread of a fire is contained by creating fire-resistant compartments, which subdivide the building (vertically or horizontally). Buildings must ensure that any openings and gaps are fire-stopped to restrict both lateral and vertical fire spread.
The definition of a firestop/fire stopping according to the Building Regulations 2010 is:
“A seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance between elements or components, to restrict the spread of fire and smoke.”
Download our fire checklistFire Stopping Products
Fire sleeves are designed to fill or seal an aperture created by pipes passing through a fire-rated wall or ceiling. In the case of plastic pipes, the sleeve will crush and seal off the pipe, preventing the passage of fire and smoke to the adjacent compartment. One great benefit of sleeves is that you only need one per aperture.
Fire collars are a popular choice when looking at fire sealing of pipe penetrations through fire walls. They consist of a metal shell lined with intumescent. They are generally installed on both sides of the wall or the underside of the flooring and simply screw into place.
Fire wraps are a quick and easy way to fire-seal pipe penetrations. They perform in a similar way to collars, except they do not have the metal shell. This means that they need to be installed inside a solid construction – such as a concrete wall or floor.
Fire sealants and gap fillers expand when heated at high temperatures to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. There are different kinds of sealants for different substrates and applications, including pipes and cable penetrations.
Fire Sealing pipe penetrations
Pipework that penetrates fire compartment walls or floors must be adequately sealed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. Read more about how to fire-seal pipe penetrations and Walraven’s fire-stopping solutions.
Read MoreFire sealing cable penetrations
When cables pass through fire-rated walls, they can melt in the event of a fire, creating openings that allow flames and smoke to spread rapidly between compartments. Discover how Walraven provides safe, reliable fire-stopping solutions for cable penetrations.
Read More
Interest in more technical info?
How can Walraven help with fire stopping?
Walraven Fire Stopping Products
Walraven’s fire-stopping products comprise a range of solutions for the passive fire protection of mechanical and electrical service installations. Our range includes Pacifyre® fire sleeves, collars, wraps, as well as mortars and sealants.
Our products have third-party certifications, CE Marks and ETA documentation, so you know you are installing products that are fit for purpose.
Our fire-stopping specialist is ready to guide you through the selection and installation of the correct fire-stop products for your project. We have a fire stopping checklist to give you some important considerations to start with.
Products for more complex situations
Our range of solutions includes products with features to suit more demanding installation environments. For example, if significant pipe movement is expected, a standard fire collar or wrap may not be effective. Our Walraven Pacifyre MKII Fire Sleeve is specially designed to allow for pipe movement. We also have solutions for angled pipes, cold smoke seals and with tested sound insulation.
