At CFP – Carpentry & Fire Prevention, we specialise in professional fire stopping and fire compartmentation works designed to protect buildings by preventing the spread of fire and smoke through walls, floors, ceilings and service penetrations. Passive fire protection like fire stopping and compartmentation is a legal and essential element of fire safety design – protecting escape routes, limiting fire spread and giving occupants more time to evacuate safely.
Whether you need fire stopping on a new build, refurbishment or remedial project, our experienced team ensures compliant installation using certified materials and techniques.
For national contracts or larger commercial portfolios outside these areas, please contact us – we’re happy to assist.
Fire Stopping is the installation of materials and systems to seal gaps, joints and penetrations in fire-resisting walls and floors so the fire resistance of the compartment isn’t compromised. Without it, services such as pipes, cables and ducts can create paths for fire and smoke to spread, defeating compartment lines. A fire stop reinstates the fire-resisting performance of a barrier.
Fire Compartmentation is the wider strategy of dividing a building into fire-resisting compartments separated by fire-rated walls, floors or ceilings to contain fire to its origin area. Compartmentation limits fire and smoke spread, protecting escape routes and adjoining spaces for the required fire resistance period.
Passive fire protection includes both compartment structures (walls, floors) and the fire-stopping measures that seal every unavoidable breach – such as service penetrations and construction joints – to maintain that fire resistance.
In England & Wales, fire stopping and compartmentation requirements are primarily covered under Approved Document B (Fire Safety) as part of the Building Regulations. These documents set out how to achieve compliance with the fire safety legal requirements, including fire-resisting walls, floors, fire doors, service penetrations and cavity barriers.
Approved Document B emphasises that the fire resistance of a compartment wall or floor should not be impaired by penetrations or joints, and all openings must be sealed so that the structure can maintain its fire resistance for the design period.
This legislation places a legal duty on the Responsible Person (often the building owner, employer or landlord) to ensure adequate fire precautions are in place and maintained. This includes ensuring that fire stopping and passive fire protection are properly installed and inspected as part of ongoing fire risk management.
Fire stopping products must be certified to appropriate fire test standards (such as BS EN 1366 and BS EN 13501), and installations should follow manufacturer test data and third-party certification schemes to ensure that fire rating and integrity are maintained.
We install a wide range of fire stopping products and systems, tailored to different gaps, penetrations and construction types, including:
Fire stopping is not just a sealant around a pipe. It must:
Incorrect materials or installation can drastically reduce the effectiveness of fire compartments and lead to non-compliance with legal safety requirements.
We provide:
• Site assessment and passive fire protection survey
• Design of fire stopping strategy in line with regulations
• Installation of fire stopping products and cavity barriers
• Sealing of all service penetrations (pipes, cables, ducts)
• Verification and certification reporting
• Liaison with building control, fire engineers and risk assessors
Whether it’s a commercial premises, residential development, HMO, school or care home, we tailor solutions that meet the required fire resistance ratings and are documented for compliance.
Protect your building and comply with fire safety regulations. Contact CFP – Carpentry & Fire Prevention to discuss your fire stopping and compartmentation needs, request a site survey, or get a detailed quote.
Fire stopping is the process of sealing openings and gaps in fire-resisting walls, floors and ceilings (such as around pipes, cables, ducts and joints) to maintain the integrity of fire compartments and prevent fire and smoke spreading. It’s a key part of passive fire protection and helps save lives by containing fire to its area of origin.
Fire compartmentation divides a building into fire-resisting zones using rated walls, floors and doors so that fire and smoke are contained for a defined period. This helps protect escape routes and limits damage.
Compartmentation refers to the overall strategy of dividing a building into fire zones, while fire stopping is the specific work that seals breaches and gaps in those zones so the compartment’s fire resistance is not compromised.
Yes. Fire stopping must comply with Building Regulations Part B (Fire Safety) and be installed so that penetrations through fire rated walls and floors maintain their fire resistance. Gaps or voids must be properly sealed with certified products.
Yes — they should be tested and certified to recognised fire resistance standards (e.g., BS EN fire test standards) and installed following manufacturer details to ensure they perform as intended.
Common fire stopping materials include intumescent sealants, fire rated mortars, collars, sleeves, fire boards and fire stop pillows, depending on the service type, gap size and construction.
If your building has fire-rated walls or floors and services passing through them (pipes, cables, ducts), you must have fire stopping. Even small unsealed gaps can allow fire and smoke to spread rapidly, defeating compartmentation.
Fire stopping should be reviewed during building alterations, after new services are installed and as part of regular passive fire protection inspection (often annually). A full compartmentation survey helps identify any breaches or defects.
A compartmentation survey is a detailed assessment of fire resisting walls, floors, fire doors and fire stopping systems to check for breaches, weaknesses or non-compliance, with recommendations for remedial works.
Yes. Compromised fire stopping should be reinstated using approved materials and correct installation methods to restore the fire resistance of the compartment. Regular maintenance and remedial work ensures ongoing compliance.
Under UK fire safety law, the Responsible Person (e.g., building owner, landlord or facilities manager) must ensure all fire protection measures, including fire stopping, are properly installed and maintained to current standards.
No — fire stopping is required in any building where fire rated walls or floors are part of the design, including residential blocks, HMOs, schools, hospitals, offices and industrial buildings.
