Technical Guides
What Is Fire Stopping and Why Does It Matter? A Guide to Compartmentation
Fire stopping is the sealing of gaps, joints and service penetrations in fire resisting walls, floors and ceilings, so that the fire resistance of that element is not reduced by the opening cut through it. Every time a pipe, cable, duct or conduit passes through a compartment wall or floor, it creates a hole in what is otherwise a continuous fire resisting barrier. Fire stopping fills that hole with a tested material or system designed to hold back fire, smoke and hot gases for the same period the surrounding wall or floor is rated to achieve. Without it, a well-built compartment wall can be rendered almost useless by a handful of unsealed penetrations.
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