Some fire-resistant foams are specifically designed and tested to fill larger gaps. Closely follow the conditions of use stated in the certification if installing a fire-rated foam product Similar to windows and doors, plumbing is another feature that can leave small gaps. When installing plumbing, expanding foam can be used in holes to seal pipes in place, stopping any rattling. Where Not to Use Expanding Foam

Polyurethane (PU) foam fillers - also known as ‘fire foam’ - are common in construction, but if you use them without properly understanding them they can end up costing you money, creating worse fire risks, and potentially ruin your hard-earned reputation. Insulation is hugely important for homeowners, keeping buildings warm during the winter while also reducing energy bills. I have written to many foam manufacturers asking what is the situation with a door frame into a 2.8m high metal stud and plasterboard partition and am yet to receive an answer. We have to draw our own conclusions. When choosing an expanding foam, ensure you have the right product for your job. Expanding Foam TapeExpanding foam is a hugely versatile product that is incredibly useful for construction. Here are some of the circumstances where expanding foam should be considered. Filling Gaps

There are life safety implications – use the foam correctly and in the right situations to achieve conformity with the Building Regulations. Some Foams can only provide fire resistance (surface spread of flames) and cannot provide any means of fire integrity depending on manufacturer. There is not a one standard does all for expanding fire foams, as they have been tested differently.If we had to stand up in a court and state why we had made a decision that allowed the fire doors to be fitted contrary to manufacturers testing and certification, what would we say? It was easier for the installer? Fire foams are usually tinted pink to distinguish them from other foam products but they're not all the same - read the instructions Expanding foam is a substance made up of various chemicals, including polyurethane. It usually comes in a can, which is either: Try not to use them at all. Take care to cut and install fire protection so that it fits exactly. Use proper collars and seals if compartments need to be penetrated. Limited Durability: Fire stopping materials should be able to withstand the rigors of time and maintain their integrity over the long term. Pink foam, however, may degrade or deteriorate over time, compromising its ability to effectively stop the spread of fire.

Far better to insist that installation complies with the certificate’s installation instructions unless the installer can prove that their proposed method is better than that certified by the door manufacturer. Claims made in leaflets given out with boxes of expanding foam do not cut it. Expanding Foams are not an intumescent, it cannot close or crush a plastic pipe and should never be installed as such.While fire rated foam expands on application, it sets hard and will not expand further and seal up a hole when a fire breaks out.

It wasn’t well received when I made it,” she says. “The comments are like: ‘it looks like intestines’, ‘it looks like guts’.” Ahenkan was not put off, describing the result as “jolie-laide”: “I made it to make my house look cute.” In sharing her process – later covered by design blogs – she no doubt contributed to foam mirrors’ outwards spiral. “Up until then it was a cool thing to be retweeted.” Fox Curtis Murray are a building consultancy specialising in providing Clerks of Works services and Quality Control inspections. Compliance Issues: Reputed organisations such as ASFP, BMTRADA, FIRAS, and IFE strongly recommend the removal and replacement of pink foam installations with authentic fire-rated alternatives. The primary concern lies in the difficulty of accurately tracing the product without conducting chemical composition testing. To ensure reliable fire safety measures, it is advisable to opt for fire-rated materials with suitable test data that can be easily identified and verified for their intended use.TikTok has also been instrumental in driving the trend, with 15m views to videos tagged #foammirror, many of them tutorials. “I couldn’t actually avoid it – the foam mirror trend was everywhere,” says Elle Adams, a London-based YouTuber who vlogs as The Elle Next Door. There are some other products on the market that have similar names to expanding foam. Examples of this include expanding foam tapes and expansion joint fillers. Fire rated foam is not suitable for use around pipe and cables as it doesn’t intumesce or expand in extreme heat so the services would burn away and leave a void and thus breach the fire compartment.