We always find it odd that everyone understands the risk of fire — after all Calgary schools aren’t doing “flood drills” or “tornado drills,” but few Canadians seem to know much about how fire is controlled and how smart design can slow fire from spreading and reduce risk of harm to people. Today we want to take a few minutes to just discuss what firestopping is and how it works.
Firestopping is the art and science of designing a space to passively slow the movement of fire, smoke, and flue gasses throughout a building. Many apartment buildings, for example, have thick, firestopped floors between each level. When properly maintained, this features slow the spread of fire by 1-2 hours between a single floor. Firestopping also refers to the inspections and maintenance that renews fire rating and keeps a building up to code. Carefully implementing and maintaining firestopping features not only save lives, but they also prevent property damage. Our fire specialists at Westcal are experienced with providing general contractors with a one-stop shop for all their firestopping needs. However, our team also works with businesses who simply need firestopping inspections and maintenance.
Annual Inspections.
International Firestopping standards state that buildings should be inspected annually. This is because many firestopping features degrade with time. In order to make sure your building is meeting code, you’ll need to work with experienced fire specialists. Our team will evaluate your firestopping and let you know if there are any deficiencies. Once problems are discovered, we use manufacturer approved systems to bring your building back up to its initial fire rating.
Protect your Investments.
All human spaces from submarines to traffic tunnels to the International Space Station need to think about fire. Few things are as destructive as fire to life or property, and adequate firestopping can protect lives and help your building and its mechanical systems to remain operational even after an emergency. Protecting your investments means making sure you schedule your annual firestopping inspections and follow recommendations.
Want to learn more about how firestopping save lives? Not sure if your building is up to code? Our fire specialists can help! Contact the experts at Westcal at (403) 242-1357, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you schedule an inspection.
