TENMAT says that it now has the only complete range of fire rated air valves on the market that have the appropriate testing to enable them to be installed in ceilings. Unlike other products, the TENMAT fire rated air valves have full-scale 60 minute fire testing to the latest European standards for installation into ceilings.
Recessed ceiling air valves are widely used in both domestic and commercial buildings. Once a hole is made in a ceiling for an air valve, the integrity of the construction and its ability to perform in a fire is reduced significantly. Ceiling air valves, if left unprotected, allow a fire to spread rapidly through a building. Ceilings must be fire protected in accordance with Approved Document B of the Building Regulations, which states the ceiling must be firestopped to reinstate the original fire rating.

TENMAT offers a full range of fire rated ceiling air valves, available in all common sizes for both extract and supply, tested to the latest EN test standards. The TENMAT Firefly fire rated ceiling air valves offer a highly cost effective alternative to air valves with fusible link fire dampers. In a fire situation, the integral intumescent material rapidly expands to seal off the air valve and reinstate the fire resistance rating of the ceiling. This limits the risk of fire and heat spread throughout the building. The fire rated ceiling air valve is installed as normal with air flow unaffected. The product also requires no maintenance unlike many fusible link fire dampers.

It is now common practise to install fire rated downlights in order to reinstate the fire performance of a ceiling, yet in the same ceiling there are often unprotected ceiling air valves. This means that in the event of a fire, the unprotected ceiling air valve would act as an open passage for fire spread.

The rule of thumb is, if you have fire rated downlights you will need fire rated ceiling air valves.

For more information, please contact TENMAT on 0161 955 2479 or e-mail mark.davies@tenmat.com Or visit the website www.tenmat.com

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