Fire Protection

The construction project at Gregorys Court in Bodmin, Cornwall, was part of a £79 Million upgrade to council houses across the region. The refurbishment led by Cornwall Housing began early in 2024, included several architectural changes to modernise and improve the two blocks of flats which were originally constructed in the 1970s. These changes included replacing roofs, windows and guttering, removing the old insulation and installing new rainscreen cladding to the facades.

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, stringent regulations have been put in place to ensure the safety of outdoor areas, particularly in relation to fire.  

While the requirement for the use of non-combustible components on specified attachments such as balconies is clear and unequivocal, areas that fall in the category of flat roof systems represent a different challenge.

Unlike balconies, the requirements for roof systems leave room for interpretation that can potentially lead to the installation of non-compliant build-ups.  To avoid falling on the wrong side of compliance, specifiers often resort to non-combustible options which can have a negative impact on their budget.

Having been involved for many years in fire rated products, gaining invaluable knowledge and insight into the composite fire door industry, Astraseal could see the requirement for a comprehensive fire safety door package. A start to finish solution backed up by extensive testing to the most onerous standards and certified by industry leading experts.

The latest generation of fire resistant glazing is expanding the potential to increase daylighting within the communal areas of social housing, as well as other forms of shared accommodation, without compromising the safety of residents.

This light transmission and fire safety balance can be achieved using the range of certified fire resistant glazing and door systems from Promat. In the past 12 months, the company has seen a noticeable increase in the number of enquiries it has received relating to residential projects, which reflects a growing awareness of the benefits of designing spaces with maximum natural light in mind, coupled with the need to meet strict fire safety obligations following the implementation of the Building Safety Act.

Ensuring that materials used on buildings are fire resistant is more important than ever, especially for residential buildings above 18m (11m in Scotland) in height, where UK building regulations now require the use of incombustible materials that resist the spread of fire.

KEIM silicate paints are fire resistant to the highest Euronorm classification (EN13501-1), with a classification of A2-s1, d0, ideal for specifiers, contractors, housing associations and councils involved with decoration and refurbishment of high rise buildings in the UK, to ensure compliance with current fire regulations.

FERRO is a premium range of highly durable and weather resistant external door blanks from leading brand Moralt.

Available in the UK from leading independent distributor, James Latham, the FERRO collection comprises some of the most robust external blanks currently available on the market.

Made from top-quality natural and engineered timbers, what sets FERRO blanks apart is that each one contains two thermally isolated solid steel stabilising bars in its core, helping to prevent bowing and warping.  

In the Autumn of 2023, door and window hardware manufacturer and fire door solutions systems house Winkhaus UK, are launching a range of timber and composite UKCA 3rd Party certified external fire doorset solutions. The launch follows an 18-month development, test and accreditation program, with the new range significantly increasing the scope of compliant fire doorset solutions for specifiers in social housing and residential new build.