Goldilocks and the Plumber- a firestop story.

You all know the story of Goldilocks and the Three bears, but have you heard the one about the plumber?

Regardless of your trade, this information will help anyone who deals with firestop and wants to build better! Check it out and let me know what you think! https://www.aspe.org/pipeline/may-2022-lessons-in-firestop-goldilocks-and-the-plumber/

Why there is no promise that your one hour rated wall will last for one hour in a fire.

Before Covid I did a lot of training classes. One day in class I had a guy get mad at me when I told him there was no promise that a one hour rated wall would survive a fire for one hour. Talk about shoot the messenger! But understanding this is important for anyone who designs builds or inspects. That is the topic of this “Firestop Coffee Break Training”. Please join me.

Why the way Fire Rated Assemblies are Tested SHOULD Impact How you DESIGN, BUILD & INSPECT?

Most people in design or construction have never wondered, “gee, how do you test a fire rated assembly?” But if you don’t understand how the assemblies are tested you might not be designing or building the way you should. This series of videos will introduce you to how fire rated assemblies but we will take it a step further and who you how that could play out in a real wold scenario. It is our hope that this four part series will help you improve how you either design or build.

Shaft wall firestop made easy

If you have been watching this video series you may have a new insight on how complicated firestop head of wall firestop joints are. This video will be  welcome surprise, because we will introduce you to a product that will make your life a whole lot easier. Check it out and let me know what you think of it.

 

Shaft wall joints and fluted deck- recipe for bad firestop.

Firestopping on shaft wall assemblies is done wrong way too often.

If your project has fluted metal decks, you are likely firestopping the shaft joints with mineral wool and spray. If you want to know that your team is doing it right, this video can help.  

If you have any questions or need any extra help, just give us a shout. We are happy to help anyone who wants to get this right.

Are you building Shaft Walls right? Part 3 (Head of wall- Sealant)

Firestopping head of wall joints seems basic, but its shocking how often something so basic is done so wrong. If your project has shaft walls and you are fire stopping them with sealant, please watch this video, so you can be sure the installations on your projects meet the requirements.

First thing to check- Do your firestop submittals have shaft wall details? If not, they should. If not, there is a considerable risk that the fire rating of your shaft walls is missing the requirements we point out in this video. If you want to know how to avoid this liability, this video is designed to help.

Are you building Shaft Walls right? Part 2 (Build It)

Welcome back, clearly you are one of the teams who want to be sure you are building right. This series is addressing shaft wall construction because it is so critical to the life safety of your projects.  The last video talked about how shaft walls are tested differently so that when we talk about how they are built differently, in this video, you have a different level of understanding of why things are important. Check it out here!

Are you building Shaft Walls right? Part 1 (Test It)

You know shaft walls are built differently than other rated wall assemblies, but did you know they are tested differently too?  Understanding this difference will help you understand why the need to be fire stopped differently as well.  Shafts are critical to the life safety of your buildings. They impact multiple floors, so they deserve a little more attention. This video series is designed for those of you who want to do things right. We hope this will make it a little easier for you to understand how to evaluate field installations and ensure they are built properly. Check out the video here and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to give us a shout. We are happy to help if we are able.

Thanks for your time.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvhBQr2_TdM&feature=youtu.be

Four Rules of Firestop Spray- Know them- Follow them!

Firestop Spray at head of wall joints is an installation that can look professional or it can look like a blood bath. This video will help you know, regardless of what it looks like, if you can expect it to perform in a fire scenario. We walkabout what to look for but also WHY each element is important. You can see this new video here. Please let us know what you think about this and what other topics might be useful for you. If we can help on a project, don’t hesitate to give us a shout!

Coffee Break Firestop Training Series

Welcome to our Coffee Break Training Series. Do you look at firestop at head of wall joints and think its easy or basic, what about shaft wall construction or other rated joints such as bottom of wall or wall to wall joints? If you think they are basic, this video series may help you see these installations in a new light. If you have a means of egress shaft built of gypsum wall board, PLEASE watch the one on bottom of wall applications because you may look at exit shafts a whole new way after that video. There is A LOT packed into this multi part series and despite the fact that we are talking building codes and fire test standards, you might actually enjoy yourself, but you will definitely learn something. So, welcome and I hope we can help you look at firestop a whole new way.  Here is our introductory video- see you next week