1. Is Rockwool fire safe?

All unfaced, aluminium foil faced and glass tissue faced Rockwool products produced in the UK are non-combustible and will achieve a reaction to fire classification of A1.

2. Can Fire Barrier be used as fire Protection for structural steel?
   
Yes, depending of the Hp/A ratio Fire barrier can be used for up to 2 hours fire protection.

3. What about  fire protection of structural steel beams and columns?

Firepro Beam Clad can provide up to 4 hours fire protection to steel beams and columns. If appearance is important, the Firepro Beam Clad board system can be installed to provide boxed or profiled protection for 2,3, or 4 sided, exposed steel conditions.

Available with scrim, foil or plain facing it can be glued or pin-fixed into position to provide a neat finish, which, if required, can be decorated. Firepro Beam Clad boards are easy to cut to required shapes on site, allowing service penetrations to be neatly accommodated.

4.Which product would you recommend for fire resisting division of roof spaces to comply with fire regulations?

Rockwool Fire Barrier is the ideal system. Made of non-combustible rock stitched to a wire mesh, the barrier can be installed (using Rockwool angle supports and clamping plate) as a curtain of Rockwool. It will inhibit the spread of smoke and flames through concealed spaces. Flexible and easy to handle it will provide up to 2 hours fire resistance. Extended drops are feasible in large voids and the system allows for penetration by building services. Rockwool Fire Barrier also has a useful acoustic attenuation effect, reducing the level of transmitted from room to room.

5. Why do I need to provide a 30 minute fire resistant floor for a loft conversion?
 
This is a requirement of Approved Document B of Building Regulations to allow for sufficient time to escape from the higher building storey. It can be achieved by introducing 100mm of Rockwool Flexi slab, suspended on galvanised steel chicken wire between the joists, before overlay with the t&g chipboard flooring.

6. How can a common loft area be split up to achieve the 60-minute compartmentation requirement between dwellings?
 
2 layers of Rockwool Fire Barriers suspended from the soffit will satisfy this requirement. The Barriers should be installed in accordance with the product data sheet using the proprietary fixings, and also sealed to the head of the compartment wall to maintain the integrity of the entire system.

7. If I fully fill my masonry cavity wall with Rockwool Cavity , will I require additional fire stopping at the party wall junction?

No – in the opinion of the British Board of Agrément, Rockwool Cavity will satisfy the following requirements of the 2000 Building Regulations:

B3 (4): Resistance to fire spread between and within cavities.

Rockwool Cavity is non-combustible and therefore may be used in buildings of every purpose group.
They may also be considered as a cavity barrier when tightly fitted between masonry leaves where an insulated wall connects with the cavity of a wall without cavity insulation.

8. How can I achieve the compartmentation requirements in an empty or partially filled external masonry cavity wall, at the party wall junction?

Rockwool Acoustic Party Wall dpc, which comprises of Rockwool insulation bonded to a wide dpc, is friction fitted into the external cavity across the party wall junction. The dpc face is located against the external leaf. This solution not only provides the 60-minute fire resistance requirements of Building Regulations Approved Document B, but will also meets the acoustic requirements of Approved Document E.

9. How can I prevent fire entering a cavity wall around window and door openings and subsequently spreading throughout the building envelope?

Rockwool fire rated cavity closers, Rocklose and RockReveal are designed to provide a tight, fire resistant seal in a masonry cavity around window or door openings.  Rocklose is a first fix solution which is similar but narrower product to Rockwool Acoustic Party Wall dpc. RockReveal is a second fix solution which does not need additional dpc. Both products will achieve 30 minutes fire resistance and also meet the Part L requirement for minimising cold bridging.

10. Can I use other fixings than Rockwool Angles and Straps to fix the Fire Barrier System?

Obviously, our primary objective is to ensure that the fixing angle and strap that Rockwool has had tested and certificated is used in conjunction with our Fire Barrier although, we would accept that non-Rockwool supplied angles and straps may well be used as an alternative.
 
In such instances we would advise that the specifier, supplier, or installer satisfy themselves totally, via reference to the fixing manufacturer, that the chosen fixing has been tested and approved for the required amount of fire resistance. As we are sure you will appreciate, Rockwool could not possibly underwrite a product that it has not supplied.

11. How can the gaps between the head of a blockwork wall and a tiled or slated pitched roof be sealed to prevent fire spread to the adjacent property? 
 
There are two paths which require sealing to maintain the fire compartmentation at this junction – between the masonry wall and the underside of the roofing felt and within the timber batten void, between the felt and the tiles/slates. 300mm wide strips of 30mm thick Rockwool RWA45 can be used in both instances. Provided the masonry wall width is at least 250mm and the insulation is inserted under at least 10% compression, the 60-minute requirement of Building Regulations will be met.

12. When installing recessed lighting within a ceiling are there any precautions required if there is already insulation between the joists.
 
When installing down lighters within a ceiling you should have acoustic/fire covers, or maintain a void over the top of them.