Do You Need Fire-Stopping? Don’t Neglect These Essential Systems
When constructing or updating your facility, every consideration must be made. Do you have enough space for employees? Is your building’s layout easy to navigate? Are plumbing and electricity operating as they should? And, most importantly, are your facility’s inhabitants safe and secure? You might think you have everything covered, but are you forgetting about one crucial component? That’s right, you should never neglect your building’s fire-stopping and fireproofing systems. And if you think you can get away with minimal fire-stopping, think again! Fire-stopping is essential to your building’s interior design; call Mid-Illinois Companies to learn why!
Fire-Stopping Helps You Prepare for Emergencies
No one expects to have a fire! The point is that the sooner you know there’s a problem, the faster you can prepare and implement containment. Equipped with advanced technologies, fire-stopping systems can identify signs of smoke and heat even before flames become visible. They are designed with heat sensors that continuously monitor temperatures in your facility. If the temperature rises above normal levels, the system triggers an alarm. Additionally, smoke detectors use photoelectric technology or ionization to detect smoke particles in the air. When the detectors sense a concentration of smoke, the alarm sounds, providing early warning and allowing for quick evacuation or firefighting actions.
Fire-Stopping STOPS Fires
If fire-stopping systems didn’t live up to their namesake, what good would they be? These systems help contain fires through fire-resistant products like fire doors and screens. When a fire occurs, these system components compartmentalize a building into sections, isolating the fire’s source and confining it to a specific area. This slows the fire’s progress, giving occupants more time to evacuate and allowing firefighters to arrive and combat the fire effectively. In addition to fire doors and screens, fire-stopping materials include specialized sealants for openings and joints, which expand to fill gaps, not allowing a fire to escape containment.
Fire-Stopping Protects Valuable Assets
When a fire erupts, it can rapidly consume everything in its path, including machinery, equipment, inventory, and essential documents. However, the preventative measures offered by fire-stopping systems can help avert such catastrophic loss. Ideally, fire containment measures can keep a fire sectioned off and away from areas where valuable assets for your facility are kept. However, additional fire suppression, like sprinklers or gaseous systems, can quickly extinguish flames if the fire gets too close or starts in those areas.
Fire-Stopping Protects YOU
Most importantly, properly installed fire systems protect those inhabiting your facility. From customers and clients to your workers and employees, fire-stopping saves lives. When fires break out, early detection systems allow occupants to evacuate quickly, fire doors and screens ensure a safe and direct route for escape, and suppression from systems like sprinklers keep a fire under control before emergency services arrive. Every component of your fire-stopping systems works to protect and preserve human lives.
Fire-Stopping Keeps You Operational
If a fire occurs at your business and you don’t have up-to-date fire-stopping and fireproofing, don’t expect your facility to come out unscathed. If damage is severe enough, you’ll be stuck cleaning up after a fire for weeks. Conversely, systems like intumescent fireproof paint prevent the spread of fire and help extinguish it faster, meaning there’s less time for the fire to cause damage. As such, your facility doesn’t become compromised, you can incorporate repairs quickly, and operations can be resumed within days instead of weeks.
Fire-Stopping is Required
Ultimately, while you decide on the types of fire-stopping systems you want in place, your facility will need it if it’s without. Fire-stopping and fireproofing are requirements for all construction in Illinois, as outlined by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). The state regulations necessitate that any commercial or residential buildings adhere to certain safety standards, including fire-stopping and fireproofing systems.
If you need to replace, update or install fire-stopping systems for your commercial building, local businesses count on Mid-Illinois Companies. Our experienced contractors have helped equip countless businesses with high-quality fire-resistant doors, screens, sealants, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, gaseous suppression systems, and more. Or, for help with additional interior contracting work you require, call Mid-Illinois Companies today at 309-674-0717.
