Why the tested system matters

Firestop is not a product. It is a system: a specific sealant, wrap, collar or device, installed at a set depth and size, around a specific item, in a specific wall or floor. That exact system was fire-tested. Change one part and the test no longer applies. Penetration systems are tested to ASTM E814 or UL 1479. Joint systems, like the gap at the top of a wall, are tested to UL 2079. IBC 714 requires penetrations in rated walls and floors to be protected by these tested systems.

What we seal

• Cable, cable bundles and cable trays

• Metal and plastic pipe, insulated and bare

• Conduit and duct

• Head-of-wall joints where a rated wall meets the deck

• Old firestop that is cracked, missing or not part of a listed system

Common problems we fix

We often find holes packed with foam or sealant that was never part of a tested system, plastic pipe sealed with a product that is not listed for plastic pipe, and sealant applied without the backing or depth the system calls for. Each one looks sealed but will not hold in a fire. We remove it and install a listed system in its place.

How we do it

1. Match the system. Each penetration needs a system tested for that wall type, that item and that rating. We match it and log the system number.

2. Install and label. Our techs install to the listing and label each seal.

3. Photograph and record. Before and after photos and the system number go into your report and portal.

When no tested system fits

Some field conditions do not match any tested system. In that case the firestop manufacturer can issue an engineering judgment for that condition. We get it before we install and file it with your report.

What you get

• One line per seal: location, item, barrier rating and system number

• Before and after photos

• A label on each seal that points back to the record

• Locations marked on your life safety drawings

Not sure where your breaches are? Start with a firestop inspection and above-ceiling survey, and read our firestop and above-ceiling inspection guide. We install firestop for hospital fire barrier compliance and for schools and universities. Found holes above the ceiling? Get a firestopping quote.