Fire dampers are a vital component of a building’s overall fire protection. They provide protection in ductwork and other breaches of walls, floors and ceilings that could act as a conduit for fire and smoke to spread quickly. When a certain temperature is reached, the dampers close shut, blocking the passage of fire and smoke.
Some walls and other fire-resistant materials provide added protection against fires and may be used as part of a compartmentation strategy to control fire.
What are 30-minute walls and do they remove the need for fire dampers?
What are 30-minute walls?
30-minute walls are internal building walls that provide at least thirty minutes of protection against fire. In practice, most walls should offer 30 minutes of fire resistance as a minimum. For instance, a standard stud wall with 12.5mm plasterboard on either side, will have 30 minutes of fire resistance.
If you opt for fire-resistant plasterboards, your walls will have a rating of 60 minutes. If you live in an older stone property, then your walls are likely to have longer fire resistance, with granite being the most fire-resistant building material. If, on the other hand, you live in a timber building with wooden walls, you will need to ensure that the timber is treated with fire-resistant paint to increase its fire resistance.
Why are 30-minute walls required?
30-minutes is regarded as the bare minimum when it comes to fire resistance protection. This ensures that the progress of the fire is slowed, giving occupants time to escape and more time for the fire to be put out before it has a chance to spread throughout the building. It gives the occupants of the building a minimum amount of protection in the event of a fire.
Why are fire dampers so essential?
Properly functioning fire dampers are a vital part of your fire safety infrastructure. As with any other equipment they not only need to be installed but they should also be tested to ensure they are still operating as expected. You need to be confident that if a fire should occur, your fire dampers will function efficiently. The only way to be confident that your fire dampers are in good working order is to have them maintained and tested regularly.
No matter how fire-resistant your walls are, you cannot take chances with fire dampers. Should fire dampers not be installed or they fail to work effectively, the consequences can be incredibly dangerous.
ECS provides a trusted and professional fire damper testing service.
To find out more contact our professional team today.