Fire Protection
Fire is the one risk that can destroy a historic building outright, and protecting against it has to be done without stripping out the fabric that makes the building worth protecting. The specialists in this category work on detection and alarm systems designed for historic interiors, upgrading existing doors rather than replacing them, discreet compartmentation, intumescent and upgrade products suitable for historic joinery, and fire strategies for buildings where literal compliance with modern guidance is impossible. Salvage planning, which decides what is saved and how, is part of the same discipline.
What this category covers
- Fire detection and alarm design for historic interiors
- Upgrading historic doors in place rather than replacing them
- Compartmentation and cavity barriers in traditional construction
- Fire strategies and alternative approaches to modern guidance
- Risk assessment, salvage planning and hot works control
Absolute Fire and Security Systems Limited
Absolute Fire and Security Systems designs, installs and maintains fire and intruder ...
Envirograf
Envirograf is a British manufacturer of passive fire protection products, established in ...
Fire protection without wrecking the interior
Upgrade doors rather than replacing them. Historic doors can frequently be brought up to a satisfactory standard in place using intumescent seals, upgrading of panels and improved stops, and this is generally what conservation officers expect to see proposed before replacement.
Detect early, because early detection is what saves buildings. Sensitive, well-sited detection linked to a monitored alarm buys the time that decides between a damaged room and a lost building. Systems designed for historic interiors keep cabling and devices discreet.
Control hot works ruthlessly. A very large proportion of serious fires in historic buildings start during repair work, from blowlamps, grinders and heat guns. A written permit system, a fire watch continuing well after work stops, and a ban on naked flame near voids are basic precautions during any contract.
Write a salvage plan. Knowing in advance what should be rescued, where it is, how it comes off the wall and who is authorised to do it turns a chaotic night into an ordered one. Fire and rescue services will use the plan if it exists.
Questions to ask
Do historic doors have to be replaced to meet fire standards?
Usually not. Upgrading in place with intumescent seals and panel improvement is a recognised approach and generally preferred on listed buildings, supported by evidence that the upgraded door achieves an appropriate standard.
What causes most fires in historic buildings during works?
Hot works: blowlamps, angle grinders, heat guns and welding, particularly near dry timber and open voids where fire can travel unseen. Permit systems, alternatives to naked flame and an extended fire watch after work stops are the standard controls.
Is sprinkler or mist protection appropriate in a historic building?
Water mist and sprinkler systems are used in historic buildings, including highly significant ones, because the water damage from a controlled system is far less than from a fire and fire service intervention. Pipework routing and consent are the main design questions.
All 2 businesses listed under Fire Protection
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.