Our Commitment

to keep you safe

SPRINKLERS

FIRE DOORS

FIRE STOPPING

WELCOME TO BRENTWOOD FIRE PROTECTION

Brentwood Fire Protection are leading the way as a UK specialist in residential fire sprinkler systems, installation of Fire doors and Fire Stopping. We design, supply and install fire sprinklers throughout the UK in a range of premises, our focus is on Category 2 and Category 3 hazard installations.

Category 2 and 3 cover blocks of flats and residential care homes and the new Category 4 covers flats over 45m. Fire door installations in new build and maintenance of fire doors in existing blocks is a key fire protection service that we offer, just fitting a ½ hour fire check door is not enough for effective fire protection.

Fire stopping services for all service pipe and cabling penetration through compartment lines is so important, using the correct product is paramount too. We have noted that too many companies are using products that can make sprinklers pipe fail, or other plastic based equipment or pipes fail. All works are 3rd party certificated.

ABOUT BRENTWOOD FIRE PROTECTION

Since 2003, almost two decades of experience in the industry, you will come to depend on Brentwood Fire Protection to design, install and maintain fire sprinkler systems which are in full compliance with BS 9251 code of conduct in properties across the length and breadth of the UK.

 

We work closely in collaboration with developers and architects and specialise in designing systems with Canute FHC fully hydraulically calculated software and CAD. With regards to our fire door installation and maintenance division we have 20 specialist carpenters working to the BM TRADA 3rd party certification scheme as well as a growing team of qualified fire stoppers ensuring oil-based fire stopping products are not used with CPVC.

SERVICES

We offer a comprehensive array of services within the Fire Protection Industry. From design, supply and installation and ongoing maintenance of residential sprinkler systems, certified fire door installation and maintenance service and certified fire stopping.

Residential Fire
Sprinklers Division

We have an experienced in-house design team based at our headquarters and an onsite installation team of 20 experienced sprinkler fitters, we are here to design, supply and install high quality residential sprinkler systems that are in compliance with BS9251 to ensure complete protection. We are proud to be able to handle every element of the process from end to end. We only use LBCB approved sprinkler components that are listed in the Redbook live.

Fire Door
Installation Division

There is a legal requirement for manufacturers of fire doors to demonstrate the ability of their products to prevent failure within 30 mins and an hour to enable means of escape. However, if they are not professionally installed, their fire resistance is severely compromised. The BM TRADA Q-Mark Fire Door Installation scheme has been designed to provide reassurance to specifiers and end users that the product they have chosen has been installed correctly and that it should perform as intended.

 

At Brentwood Building Contractors we have prided ourselves on training individuals to install the doors correctly and we have trained supervisors who take responsibility for the work carried out. We can guarantee that each door set is installed correctly, and it will achieve precisely what the building designer requires which, in turn will extend the products service life and enhances the maintenance programme in the long term.

We offer a certified fire door installation service accredited to BM Trada’s Q-Mark scheme that meets legislation requirements. This provides reassurance that your fire safety door needs are being met. It is imperative to prevent fire and smoke from spreading through a building.

Fire doors work as a passive barrier and provide a delay against any damaging effects of fire. They equally work as a safe route of exit from the building. Fire doors also allow the fire service enough time to enter a burning building in order to tackle the fire.

There are lots of fire door installers in London and the home counties, but are they all Fire Door Experts? We can install fire doors in commercial industries and residential properties. We are experts in installing all types of fire doors throughout your building, including entrance doors, communal doors, riser doors and emergency exit doors.

We work closely with leading door manufacturers. This allows us to offer you a range of certified bespoke fire resistant doors and door frames made from timber, steel, glass reinforced plastic and aluminium. Our expert team will work with you to ensure the correct door specification is used to comply with your needs, in an aesthetically pleasing style to blend into your building.

Certified Fire Door Installers

Our technicians are all accredited by the BM Trada Q-Mark Scheme and have been duly awarded fire door installation certification. We give you the peace of mind that all installations and maintenance works by us are carried out correctly, with certification provided upon completion of the work.

We work extensively in corporate and healthcare sectors, and certainly understand that site access can sometimes be challenging. Certain areas may only be available for work during to certain hours of the day. We can work with you to minimise disruption in your ‘live’ building, so having little affect on staff and visitors.

Fire Door Maintenance

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states a suitable system of maintenance should be in place for fire doors to ensure they are in efficient working order and in good repair. Essentially, this means regular fire door checks are required to provide fire safety and peace of mind within your building. If fire door maintenance is not carried out regularly, it may result in prosecution should a fire occur. It may also result in the door failing, and a replacement requiring installation.

To avoid any situation like this, we strongly advise that regular maintenance of your fire doors are booked. We can then ensure all fire safety regulations remain in place. On completion and compliance of the maintenance, a BM Trada Q-Mark Certificate will be awarded to each door individually along with its Fire Rating details. There is currently no definitive legislation regarding the frequency of fire door maintenance. Consequently, we highly recommend bi-annual visits for fire door repairs in London and the surrounding home counties.

During any Fire Door Maintenance, we advise you to follow the recommended steps outlined by the fire door examiner who will be following the fire door inspection report to ensure that the fire doors are compliant for all fire safety needs.

However, the frequency of visits depends on the usage of the door-sets in question. If a particular door-set is subjected to high usage, we strongly advise multiple maintenance visits are carried out annually. This is to ensure the door-sets condition remains in efficient order and in good repair. BFP can advise further on your on-going maintenance requirements once a survey has been carried out.

Fire Stopping
Division

Where services such as water, gas, electrics or communications penetrate through a building’s fire resistant compartment lines, it is vitally important to ensure that the hole is appropriately sealed with a suitable fire stopping product by a competent person, Brentwood Fire Protection have a fully trained team and supervisors with the responsibility to make sure the fire stopping is installed correctly and most importantly using the correct product for the equipment that is being fire stopped, this is the critical issue can prevent problems in the future.

The BM TRADA Q-Mark fire stopping installation scheme is designed to ensure that fire stopping solutions are being fitted correctly, we can offer the specifier and client the added reassurance that it is carried out correctly.

What is Fire Stopping?

Fire stopping is the act of sealing any openings, gaps or avenues through which a fire can spread. This forms part of your passive fire protection plan and here at Brentwood Fire Protection, we can help you ensure your premises are fully protected.

All construction in commercial property utilises fire compartmentalisation, helping to trap fire and smoke, allowing people to evacuate safely in a timely manner. Whether your building has been refitted for you to move into or you’ve had works carried out as part of a refurbishment, this could undermine your passive fire protection plan, meaning fire and smoke can spread quickly between building compartments.

What does fire stopping involve?

During fire stopping surveys, our specialists can detect those areas which are vulnerable from the spread of fire. Common areas which can often require sealing include:

 

  • Joints or gaps between walls and floors
  • Openings around pipes, cables and beams
  • Newly drilled holes
  • Holes left by the removal of components

Using a variety of materials, these gaps, holes and often overlooked areas can be sealed to restore compartmentalisation of your building.

Who is responsible for fire stopping?

As the owner or manager of your space, it is your responsibility to ensure your property is safe and fully protected against fire. Refit companies and technicians hold no responsibility to protect the seal of your building compartments, making you liable if a fire occurs and spreads.

Fire stopping from Brentwood Fire Protection

Whether you’d like a fire stopping survey or a full risk assessment for your building, at Brentwood Fire Protection we’re leading specialists. If your building requires fire stopping services, we deploy our BM TRADA approved operators to your site to carry out any necessary work, giving you peace of mind.

Contact us today to find out more about fire stopping for your building or to arrange a full fire risk assessment for your property, where we will analyse your passive fire protection arrangements.

Sprinkler Systems

General Information

Installation Categories:
CAT 1 – Individual dwellings
CAT 2 – Blocks of flats, care homes under 10 residents
CAT 3 – Blocks of flats over 18m, care homes over 10 residents
CAT 4 – Blocks of flats over 45m*

 

*Categories are being reviewed for the new BS9251:2020 code of practice

HOW SPRINKLERS WORK

Fire sprinkler systems are composed of a piping network which is charged with water from a tank and pump or direct form the town water main. The pipework has sprinkler heads connected to it which are heat activated.

Contrary to popular belief, sprinklers aren’t triggered by smoke and not all are activated simultaneously. Only the head directly above the fire is activated and in almost every case is extinguished by just one sprinkler head.

Sprinkler Heads

Sprinkler system heads operate in two distinct ways – a 2-part metal fusible link or a heat sensitive glass bulb.
Inside the bulb is a glycerine-based liquid with a vapour bubble inside. When the temperature rises, heat is absorbed by the liquid until a certain temperature has been exceeded. Once this happens, the vapour shrinks, the liquid expands and the bulb breaks. This causes water to begin flowing and spreading outwards when it hits the deflector plate.
The fusible link operation method involves two link halves which are soldered together. Once a specific temperature has been reached, the solder will melt, and the halves will separate. This activates the sprinkler, allowing the water to flow out.
The design parameters of BS9251, initiates a high spray pattern and the walls within the protected room the walls will be wetted from 700mm below the ceiling line.

PIPEWORK

Some sprinkler system piping is made from CPVC – an engineered thermoplastic. It doesn’t support fire and only chars if exposed to flames. This ensures its excellent performance and it has been used for thirty years for this purpose. CPVC piping systems have been fully approved and tested by LPCB, FM and UL and they are accepted by all insurers.
CPVC piping is tough, smooth and large in diameter. Unlike a metal piping system, CPVC piping resists corrosion and build-up of scale so it reduces overall maintenance costs. Even better, it’s quick and easy to install and simple to handle. It can also be used for retrofit purposes without residents having to vacate the building during installation.

VALVE GROUP

The valve group of a sprinkler system is a vital component. Usually, it is located near the pipe supplying the water and is housed inside a cabinet. The components of a valve group include:

 

  • Pressure gauge
  • Flow switch
  • Back flow valve
  • Lockable isolating valve
  • Drain and test point

It is imperative to test the sprinkler under dynamic load from the valve set or pump set to ensure the system is operating to the predesigned requirements when activated.

FIREPUMPS

A fire pump set is another vital component to ensure fire sprinkler heads can receive the right water flow at the appropriate pressure. Fire pumps are connected to the pipework of the sprinkler system from the water storage tank, the tank is sized using the design system parameters and the pump curve from the pump selected. Back up pumps may be specified, as well as back up in the event of power loss.

WATER SUPPLIES

Direct from the town main will usually cater for CAT 1, and some CAT 2’s. A pump and tank will be required for CAT 2’s, CAT 3’s and the new CAT 4. Pumping the water main is in the code of practice but, the water providers do not agree to this.

Maintenance

It isn’t enough to simply have a fire sprinkler system fitted – it needs to be regularly serviced and maintained to ensure that it stays in full working order to offer you guaranteed protection for the lifetime of the system.
BS9251 requires an annual service for the sprinkler system. Brentwood Fire Protection have the necessary skills and experience to undertake this through our dedicated maintenance team.

We will carry out a full inspection of the components of your system including the cover plates, sprinkler heads, lagging, trace heating, alarm systems, interfaces, control systems, tank and pump. This is to ensure that all parts are in complete working order, we also carry out a current pressure and flow test and update all records for the system.

Our maintenance team also carryout fire door maintenance programmes for newbuilds and we can offer advice and remedials on existing fire door sets that may have been picked up on Fire Risk Assessment programmes that have been carried out on existing stocks.

Projects