Inadequate Expansion Control: Expanding foam can inflate in an unpredictable manner leading to uneven coverage, sometimes expanding beyond its intended boundaries, or even leaving unnoticed gaps. This can create pathways for fire and smoke to bypass the fire stopping measures, rendering them ineffective. Fox Curtis Murray are a building consultancy specialising in providing Clerks of Works services and Quality Control inspections.

You should also think about how you prefer to apply the foam. While most will feature a straw that directs the contents, others will include a separate gun that you screw the canister into, and which provide much more control and precision. How We EvaluatedSome fire-resistant foams are specifically designed and tested to fill larger gaps. Closely follow the conditions of use stated in the certification if installing a fire-rated foam product With no evidence of the installer or products used it is un-likely that any Foam can be warranted by anyone and should be removed and replaced. Expanding Foams are not an intumescent, it cannot close or crush a plastic pipe and should never be installed as such. It wasn’t well received when I made it,” she says. “The comments are like: ‘it looks like intestines’, ‘it looks like guts’.” Ahenkan was not put off, describing the result as “jolie-laide”: “I made it to make my house look cute.”

If we had to stand up in a court and state why we had made a decision that allowed the fire doors to be fitted contrary to manufacturers testing and certification, what would we say? It was easier for the installer? As it is non-combustible, it won’t catch fire and therefore won’t contribute to the spread of fire through a building.

Types of fire rated foam

Intumescent sealant, on the other hand, does not expand when applied, and only swells up when a fire has broken out and it reaches a certain temperature. In this circumstance, the sealant will then expand and seal a hole to reinstate a wall or door’s fire containment properties. Try not to use them at all. Take care to cut and install fire protection so that it fits exactly. Use proper collars and seals if compartments need to be penetrated. Insufficient Smoke Barrier: Fire stopping materials should not only prevent the spread of flames but also act as a barrier against smoke. Pink foam may not possess the necessary properties to effectively contain smoke, which can be equally hazardous during a fire incident.

Fire rated foam is often misused due to poor understanding of its suitability. It is important to note that it should only be used to fill small linear gaps, gaps between a door frame and wall and small holes in fire walls. Standard B3 expanding foam is the most common type of expanding foam. There are other types of foam on the market which act in similar ways but have different properties. An example is firestop - FR or B1 foam - which is fire rated. Fire foams are usually tinted pink to distinguish them from other foam products but they're not all the same - read the instructions Expanding foam is a hugely useful tool for contractors with many potential uses. Primarily, it is great for closing gaps, helping to improve insulation for buildings.There are many opinions but what do the fire door manufacturers who make and certify the doors say? After all, if we want to install compliant fire doors, we should follow the manufacturers, certified and tested guidelines should we not? When choosing an expanding foam, ensure you have the right product for your job. Expanding Foam Tape Fire rated foam is not suitable for use around pipe and cables as it doesn’t intumesce or expand in extreme heat so the services would burn away and leave a void and thus breach the fire compartment. Pink Foams especially should be avoided as there is no way after the installation to identify the manufacturer or product used. 10 things to remember about Pink Foam We have to decide whether we are going to insist on fire doors being installed to comply with testing and certification by their manufacturers.

Windows and doors are often the primary culprits for heat loss. Expanding foam can be used to fill the gaps around window and door installations, helping to reduce heat loss in these areas and improve overall insulation. Pipe Stabilising Polyurethane (PU) foam fillers - also known as ‘fire foam’ - are common in construction, but if you use them without properly understanding them they can end up costing you money, creating worse fire risks, and potentially ruin your hard-earned reputation.Expanding foam is a hugely versatile product that is incredibly useful for construction. Here are some of the circumstances where expanding foam should be considered. Filling Gaps How many of your projects are fitting fire doors into metal stud and plasterboard partitions? Are all metal stud walls the same? There are some other products on the market that have similar names to expanding foam. Examples of this include expanding foam tapes and expansion joint fillers.