Commercial Firestopping Contractors in Nashville, TN
Providing Superior Fireproofing Solutions Since 1982
Commercial firestopping is a passive fire protection approach for confining or compartmentalizing the spread of fire. It includes sealing openings in commercial buildings to prevent fire from spreading throughout the property. Fireproofing also confines heat and smoke to one area before life-threatening damage can occur in others.
Firestopping systems use various components:
- Cables/cable trays or conduits
- Fire-rated walls/partitions, floors or ceilings
- Materials/methods for sealing penetrations
Nashville fire codes follow NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards. All structures and projects must meet the specifications for:
- Emergency lighting
- Fire department access
- Fire flow
- Fire protection systems
- Occupant egress
Our Nashville structures and projects include:
- Additions: Existing structures and/or security measures
- Building change of use
- Construction: New buildings/structures
- Installation, modification, alteration: Any security gate
- Modifications/alterations that impact egress: Existing structures
- Occupancy classification change
Types of Firestopping Offered in Murfreesboro & Nashville, TN
A commercial firestopping system aims to contain a fire in one area long enough for everyone to evacuate the building. They are passive, penetrative or fire-resistive joint systems.
When Nashville commercial properties are under construction, the engineers strive to maintain safe wall ratings using fire barriers. Sometimes wiring, cables and pipes must pass through those walls to traverse the building.
Penetrating firestops are used to block the spread of fire via electrical and data cables, plumbing pipes and any other applications or materials that travel from room to room: walls, floors and ceilings.
Fire-resistive joint systems are used to protect spaces installed between fire-rated areas. An example would be where a wall meets the ceiling, which is also the floor of the room immediately above.
Why Commercial Firestopping Is Needed in Nashville
The Nashville Fire Department received 126,000 calls in 2019, and Tennessee has one of the highest fire mortality rates in the country.
Fire protection and prevention are important for every commercial construction project. It can be influenced by materials, building usage and how well the property is maintained.
Four necessary components for fire protection are:
- Detection/warning systems
- Containment systems
- Suppression systems
- Ventilation
Passive vs. Active Fire Protection
Active fire protection is an action-oriented solution to preventing or minimizing a fire. A kitchen employee slamming a lid on a pan’s grease fire is active fire protection. Active systems include fire extinguishers, fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers, etc.
Passive fire protection divides the property into designated spaces. Areas are compartmentalized to reduce the spread of fire, heat and smoke throughout the building. Commercial firestopping systems are passive fire protection. Sometimes a commercial property needs a combination of active and passive fire protection systems.
Alpha Insulation & Fireproofing: Nashville’s Premier Commercial Firestopping Contractor
Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing has the experience and a solid reputation that can only come from many years of commercial fireproofing throughout the U.S. For 40 years, our professionals have been the go-to for industrial and commercial fireproofing and fire prevention, as well as:
Your time is valuable, so we’ll quickly provide the pricing you need for bids. Call 615-277-1000 or contact us to learn more about commercial firestopping in Nashville, TN.
