Similar to windows and doors, plumbing is another feature that can leave small gaps. When installing plumbing, expanding foam can be used in holes to seal pipes in place, stopping any rattling. Where Not to Use Expanding Foam Kragelund first exhibited mirrors upcycled with expanding foam at a design fair in Copenhagen early last year, generating online buzz that “Danish design is cool again”. 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 you need advice on the fire rated foam or sealant you need for your project, get in touch with our expert team who will be happy to help you. Compliance Issues: Reputed organisations such as ASFP, BMTRADA, FIRAS, and IFE strongly recommend the removal and replacement of pink foam installations with authentic fire-rated alternatives. The primary concern lies in the difficulty of accurately tracing the product without conducting chemical composition testing. To ensure reliable fire safety measures, it is advisable to opt for fire-rated materials with suitable test data that can be easily identified and verified for their intended use.

Fire foams are usually tinted pink to distinguish them from other foam products but they're not all the same - read the instructions Insulation is hugely important for homeowners, keeping buildings warm during the winter while also reducing energy bills. Depending on the product and conditions of the fire it can also produce toxic fumes causing permanent health damage. Fox Curtis Murray are a building consultancy specialising in providing Clerks of Works services and Quality Control inspections. We have to decide whether we are going to insist on fire doors being installed to comply with testing and certification by their manufacturers.

Fire rated foam is usually pink in colour, to identify it as different from other types of expanding foam which don’t have the non-combustible qualities. When would you need fire rated foam?

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. 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 Foams are not an intumescent, it cannot close or crush a plastic pipe and should never be installed as such.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. I have written to many foam manufacturers asking what is the situation with a door frame into a 2.8m high metal stud and plasterboard partition and am yet to receive an answer. We have to draw our own conclusions.

There is not a one standard does all for expanding fire foams, as they have been tested differently. Nullifire FF197 foam is also well known in the industry and can be used in fire door and concrete applications. I am sure that we have all seen this before: Expanding pink foam squirted into oversized gaps around fire doors Note that these products are very different to expanding foam in a can, and as such have other properties and uses not discussed here. Make sure you’re using the correct product for your project. Expanding Foam Uses 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?PU foams are combustible and generally will only offer fire-stopping properties when used in narrow voids or gaps When pink foam has been used on a timber structure the results will bf foams in timber structure the results will be un achieve satisfactory fire-resistant results.

This was part of the Grenfell issue: Non compatible parts being put together because they were individually ok. 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 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. One such example is electrical boxes. Expanding foam shouldn’t be used in these locations as it could cause jams that would be expensive to repair.

Renovations and Refurbishments Fire Safety

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. When choosing an expanding foam, ensure you have the right product for your job. Expanding Foam Tape How many of your projects are fitting fire doors into metal stud and plasterboard partitions? Are all metal stud walls the same? While fire rated foam expands on application, it sets hard and will not expand further and seal up a hole when a fire breaks out. But in the spread of foam mirrors across the internet, one name has been buried by the hype: that of Anna Louise Kragelund, the independent Danish designer credited with creating them.