Firestop- Mechanical Contractors

Smoke Barrier Part 2

Yesterday I gave you the first step on how to tackle smoke barriers. That was FIND THEM. So today I wanted to help you with step 2. You take your list of fire rated walls and possibly floors and see if you will have fire resistance rated joints that will connect either floor to floor, wall to wall or wall to floor.  

Let’s assume your list you have shows the following 

Floor- concrete PT deck 

Walls- Block walls, gypsum shaft walls and typical gypsum walls 

Run through this list of questions: 

Do you have any joints in that PT deck that require protection?  If so, find that detail and be sure it has an L rating listed.  

You will need similar firestop details for any head of wall, wall to wall and bottom of wall joints in your smoke barriers.  

“Bottom of wall?” you ask?  Yes, because many of these will be shaft walls and you will need bottom of wall firestop in shafts. If you question why please go to my YouTube channel and find the video about stairs and that should clear up any questions you have. 

If you have shaft walls, they will be different details. If you need help with that stay tuned because we will do a whole shaft wall discussion at some point. I just wanted to give you a heads up, so you know to look closer.  

So, you have to look at the firestop details for all of these joints and be sure they comply with the building code- 715.6- Fire Resistant Joint Systems in Smoke Barriers and that code section will give you the limitations, which are basically that the system shall not exceed 5cfm per linear foot of joint. 

If you need help with this, there is a training at this link that will help you understand this on a whole new level, and it will give you a clear understanding of how to build better and avoid this problem on your projects.  

https://firestop-coffee-break-training.mykajabi.com/firefoam-understanding-the-right-materials

Check in tomorrow to see what else you have to do. 

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #SmokeBarrier 

How to Plan a Project with Smoke Barriers

A few weeks ago, I did a post about smoke barriers. Not long after I got an email from a guy who had been in one of my classes. He was putting the training to work on a project and had questions.  

I can’t tell you how much I love when people who want to build better, reach out for help. 

So, if you have smoke barriers on your projects please follow along this week because I want to help clarify what you can do EARLY in your project, so you don’t run into a pickle with smoke barriers.  

There are 4 basic steps to take, and I will walk you through them this week.  

Step 1: Look at your plans and identify your smoke barriers. Keep in mind the are not just walls. They could be horizontal assemblies as well. This seems like a simple task, but often it is not; so, I will leave you with this first task and check back tomorrow for step 2.  

To be a little more clear, if I were working with you, I would want to know the type of wall assembly and the type of floor assemblies you have that are smoke barriers. A list would be great! Don’t forget to include the hourly ratings on your list. That will come in handy on Thursday. 

If you have any questions, comments, please post here so we can all learn together. 

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #SmokeBarrier 

More on Mass Timber

Here is another great educational tid bit for those of you who want to learn more about mass timber. https://halpertlifesafety.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1050&action=edit 

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #FireSprinkler 

Firestop in Mass Timber Construction

I remember when I first hear about mass timber being adopted into the 2021 IBC. There was a lot of confusion and fear. I remember being in Virginia at the ICC Code hearings teaching and when I walked the booths there were people talking about how bad mass timber was. The were fear mongers trying to scare people about the risk of fire.  

Then I wandered around a bit more and found the Tall Timber booth. Being a firestop geek, I asked lots of question about the fire tests. I mean LOTS of questions, pointed fact seeking queries.  What I received in return were facts, figures, data and HOLY cow…information supporting why this should be approved.  

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it’s the perfect construction material, but it’s not this big scary fiery inferno the fear mongers made it out to be.  

It’s a really interesting option with a long list of benefits. It’s not perfect for every construction project, but if you say not to mass timber because you are scared; please get educated. Ask questions. There are so many fabulous resources if you want to know more.  I will be at the Mass Timber Conference next week. I will be learning more. Meeting more amazing people and seeing how I can support projects and teams who want to build better.  If you cant make it and want a resource to lean on please visit this website https://www.woodworks.org or reach out the team for support.  

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #FireSprinkler 

Be Careful What Assuptions You Make. They might be wrong.

In my line of work I was often “the bearer of bad news”. When the general superintendent would see me, they might grumble, “What’s wrong now”. I took personally. I thought they didn’t like me. I mean I still had a job to do, and I did it, but I thought that they didn’t really like me.  

It was only later that I learned that they actually held me in high regard. They were glad I was there to fix the problems that no one else would have found. They appreciated and respected me.  

Don’t get me wrong, there were people who genuinely DON’T like me, but typically those people don’t care about doing the right thing (I’m talking about firestop here). My job is to hold people accountable and those guys who actually respected me, wanted to do the right thing and appreciated that I was helping them do that. The jerks who didn’t care about anything other than getting out and getting bonused. They still don’t like me.  

You have to be okay with the fact that not everyone is going to like you…BUT at the same time you can’t assume that just because some people are grousing that they automatically dislike you. 

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #WICWeek 

Women In Construction Week, 2023

We find ourselves in the middle of WIC WEEK.  

I want to celebrate all the women out there who lift others up.  

I want to be one of those women…it just happens that my thing is firestop, so if you have questions about firestop, please reach out to me. (men and women alike) 

If you work in construction and have challenges that I can help with~ please consider me a resource.  

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #WICWeek 

Shout out to Laura Tameron

When I started in construction it often seemed like there were two types of women in construction. The nice ones, who were supportive and then there were those women who didn’t like other women in their turf. They worked hard to get where they were and they didn’t want anyone else in their vision. They were territorial and they could be nasty, especially if they felt like you were competition.  

I’ve dealt with plenty of people like that. Then there were people like Laura who was an executive at the company I worked for. We were on a HUGE project and one day she stopped me in the hall and said something that has stuck with me years later. She said something along the lines of, “On a project of this size, when there is a woman and all the guys know her, its usually for all the wrong reasons. But you, you have only been here 6 months and everyone knows you…but they also know why you are here. Keep up the good work.” 

She took the time to celebrate me and on days when I feel beat up, that 60 second encounter with a powerhouse like Laura still sticks with me.  So does some of the nasty territorial crap.  

I let both serve as a reminder of which one I want to be.  

What stories lift you up from your past? 

#BuildBetter #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining #WICWeek 

No Fly Zone

One of my favorite things to do to reduce some common firestop problems is to require a No-Fly Zone for the MEPS trades. Here is a video I made just for you so you can see if you want to do this on your project too.

I would love to hear from you. Do you like the idea? Do you think it’s a waste of time? Let me know what your thoughts are. I’d love to hear from you! Just leave comments on the YouTube page, or connect on Linked In or go to our comments section of the website. However you want to connect, if you want to build better, we want to help!

#BuildBetter #Firestop #FirestopCoffeeBreakTraining

For a Building Official with some Great Questions

This video is my response to him. I hope it he

In my classes I often invite people to stay in touch and ask questions when they have some. Here is a video I created in response to some questions from a building official. I hope it helps you too.

Are you fighting with grease duct doors? We can help.

If you are an architect or kitchen designer who specifies commercial kitchen grease duct doors, this video will help you understand some products that might not meet the requirements.

If you clean grease ducts, you are going to love this new door.

If you operate a kitchen and have ever had performance issues after cleaning, this door will eliminate these problems.

Here is a short video that will introduce you to a grease duct access door that is a game changer.