Fire curtains provide both commercial and domestic owners unrivaled levels protection from the devastating effects of fire and smoke. They do this by enabling a safe route of evacuation by being able to stop, control and reduce the spread and speed of fire, heat and smoke through a building in the event of a fire.
Fire curtains are able to offer such safety features because of the fire protective fabrics that they are made from. In the main, fire curtains are formed from E-glass and fibreglass materials. Such components mean that the finished curtains will not decompose, change shape, thin or importantly burn (at low temperatures).
These materials are strengthened even further by the interweaving of additional metal threads. These extra threads, give the end fire curtains the ability to withstand temperatures right up to an astonishing 1000°C. Further flexibility and adaptability are given to fire curtains by the weaving of these fibre samples together in different planes and patterns. This technique unlocks, even more, strengths and abilities for fire curtains.
As a result of this precision manufacturing, fire curtains – like those designed, developed and installed by Coopers Fire – are easy to conceal due to their flexibility and can be created to serve a whole host of applications because of their pliable and durable nature.
Hotels are notoriously difficult buildings to comply with fire and safety regulations. This is because of their highly mixed functionalities, their quantity of guests, visitors and employees and due to the variety of infrastructural elements that they usually include. For instance, even in an average sized hotel, there will be large open spaces (dining areas and lobby), lift towers, stairwells, numerous bedrooms and closed corridors. All of which present their own specific fire risks and are classically difficult areas to protect in the event of a fire.
These difficulties largely stem from the large open spaces needed for a hotel to function correctly. Unfortunately, open space is one of the hardest layouts to reconcile with fire safety. This because the removal of non-load bearing walls also means the removal of a building’s permanent compartmentation abilities.
Compartmentation works to keep in and block out fire, heat and smoke when required. As a result, the removal of non-loadbearing walls – the primary source of compartmentation in many buildings – removes this ability and renders a space vulnerable to the devastating effects of fire.
Luckily, research and development in today’s innovative world have lent themselves to the creation of solutions to the problem of protecting open space. One all-encompassing solution is the installation of specially developed fire curtains and smoke curtains.
Both of these specially crafted systems can be installed in such a way that they remain discreetly concealed. This allows fire and smoke curtains to give an area the illusion of open space until they are required, where they automatically deploy and drop to their protective compartmentation position.
Their aptitude at dividing up space by offering reliable protection has revolutionised the construction industry: they allow architects to remove non-loadbearing fire walls and other compartmentation fixtures whilst ensuring that a building remains in line with fire regulations.
Because fire curtains are so discreet and come in all shapes, sizes, and for all applications, fire curtains are an all-encompassing solution to protect all hotel environments. As a result, modern and safe open plan hotel environments have become commonplace.
Additionally to the practicality offered, another reason that makes fire curtains for hotels the perfect solution to protect them the dangers of fire and smoke is the reliability and longevity that they promise. This, in turn, makes them great value for money; an essential consideration in a heavily commercial environment such as a hotel.
As a company, Coopers Fire are the UK’s only fire and smoke curtain manufacturer third party approved to carry out the servicing of fire curtains and smoke curtains. This means that we are able to include in all Coopers Fire fire curtain packages, the option to include aftercare servicing and maintenance.
Regular fire curtain servicing and maintenance ensures that your curtains are both durable and dependable – which is what you want out of any fire protection equipment.
Our servicing and maintenance services also ensure that your fire curtain remains fully operationally. This is not only a legal necessity, but it is also critical from a moral and economic viewpoint; fire curtains are in place to safeguard visitors, occupants, employees and inhabitants – not to mention your business and home.
Coopers Fire’s fire curtains are recognised as the modern alternative to non-load bearing walls, doors and glazing and offer designers the freedom to design modern, open plan spaces without compromising fire safety.
Please note, we are happy to provide all CAD drawings to help designers in the design phase.
Coopers Fire’s wide range of BS EN certified fire and smoke curtains can be designed to work in every possible application and a bespoke solution can be created if our current product range lacks. Our systems are also tested to UL standards and listed through Intertek.
If you want to discuss your options further, please visit our fire curtains page or contact us directly.
