Fire stopping in Sandy
When another contractor has just been through, check what they left in the walls.
Get a priceA lot of fire stopping jobs start the same way.
Somebody has a new fire alarm, a door entry system or a data network. The installer finished, packed up and went home. A month later an assessor looks above the ceiling and finds holes.
Sandy is a town in Central Bedfordshire, and this is a job that comes from any building with a recent install, not from a type of place.
Why it gets missed
Installers are paid to get the system working. Sealing the hole round the cable is a different trade, with different products and a different bill.
Unless it was written into the contract, it often does not happen.
What we look at
We start where the new cable runs. Through corridor walls, across the top of stairwell enclosures, through the wall of a plant room. Anywhere a fire-resisting line has been crossed.
The old holes are on the list too. A new cable often goes through an existing hole, so the old gap is now half-full and badly packed.
How we deal with it
Small holes round a few cables are sealed with a tested product and recorded. Larger openings are closed with board and sealant. Plastic conduit and pipes get a collar or wrap.
Each one is photographed with a note of what went in. The work is carried out by our BM TRADA / FIRAS-certificated contractors.
Ask the installer first
Before you pay us, ask your installer whether the price included sealing. Some did, and the work has been done properly. If it has not, tell them, because the cost may be theirs.
If you cannot agree on it, we can survey the building and give you a list of what is open, which settles the argument.
What a good job leaves behind
A list of the openings, each with a number, a photo before and a photo after, and the product used. Keep it with the alarm certificate. The next time someone adds a cable, they can see what was done and match it.
For landlords and managing agents
If you manage a small block and a communal alarm or door entry has just gone in, check the riser and the area above the corridor ceiling.
You will not need a long visit to know. A survey of one core can be done in a day.
Getting to Sandy
We come from Luton and have no premises in Sandy. We group jobs, so a few small sites can be done in a day.
Questions we get asked
Who is responsible for sealing after an installer?
Usually the installer, unless the contract says otherwise. Check the quote or the specification.
Can you reseal holes another firm made?
Yes. We look at what is there and say what it needs.
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.
Get a price