Fire stopping in Ampthill
Older buildings, where the floors and walls were never built to hold a fire back.
Get a priceAmpthill is an old market town with a lot of old buildings in it.
An old building is a different job from a new one. The floor between two storeys may be timber, with plaster below. The walls may be thick brick with a lot of services chased into them. Roof spaces may run the length of a terrace.
Floors and ceilings
In a converted older building, the floor between a flat and the flat below is often the most important line. If it is timber, it will need work to hold back fire for the time the building requires.
We do not decide that. A fire risk assessor or building control does. What we do is seal the gaps and penetrations in it. Pipes and cables through the floor, gaps at the edges where it meets the wall, and gaps round chimney breasts and flues.
Voids
Older roofs have long voids and boxed-in spaces. A fire starting in one house in a terrace can travel along the roof if nothing divides it. Cavity barriers are the answer, and they have to be fitted to suit the roof, not forced in.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
Ampthill has a conservation area. If your building is listed or lies in one, speak to the conservation officer at Central Bedfordshire Council before any work that changes the fabric. Drilling, chasing and fixing barriers can count.
Tell us what the council says and we will work to it. Fire stopping is mostly done on surfaces that are not seen, and often needs little disturbance, but that is for you and the council to confirm.
We do not do heritage joinery or plaster repair. If we open up something old, we say so before we start.
What we cannot promise
We cannot tell you how long a particular old floor would last in a fire. We can tell you that a floor full of open holes will do worse than one that has been sealed, and that we will put a tested product in each one.
If your assessor wants more than sealing, such as new board under a ceiling, that is a different piece of work and we will say so.
Who we work for
Landlords who own older buildings divided into flats. Managing agents. Owners of offices in former houses, and care homes in large old properties.
Getting to Ampthill
It is not far from Luton, which helps. We have no office in the town. Most visits to Ampthill can be planned as a short day.
The fire and rescue service is Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Questions we get asked
Does a timber floor need fire stopping?
Gaps and holes through it still matter. Whether the floor itself needs upgrading is a question for your assessor or building control.
Can you work without damaging old plaster?
We take care, and we tell you in advance where something has to be opened.
Tell us the building, how many floors and what has been found. We will say what we need to see and give you a rough estimate.
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