Should Your Access Panels Be Fire Rated?

by | Apr 11, 2017 | Building Materials

Access panels are required in many commercial buildings. The design and location of the access panels are critical because they hide admission to plumbing, electrical and other essential services, yet provide quick access to authorized personnel. When you purchase a fire rated access panel, you know that you are protecting whatever lies behind the panel and the damage to your critical services may be reduced by containing the fire for longer within a room, allowing time for emergency services to arrive.

All Installations Are Straightforward

You can install fire rated access panels when you are building a new property, and these will be designed to the architect’s requirements. Fortunately, the panels can be installed relatively easily within an older building, whether the walls are drywall, plaster or masonry.

Most fire rated access panels are provided with specific information which helps the installation process to be completed efficiently and effectively. The most common question is usually related to the location of the lock on the access panel and where the key will become located so that access can be sourced when maintenance is required.

A variety of sizes and options are available for access panels. Hiding the necessary access points for plumbing, electrical and a variety of other building systems is important because it keeps prying eyes away from an area that could damage your building and its viability.

When you consider the quality of a fire rated door within a building, most individuals will understand that this means that a fire will take longer to burn and breakthrough than a standard door. The same methodology applies to a fire rated access panel. The key task is to help protect the various services within your building, where access is required to be able to turn on or turn off these essential supplies and keep the level of control for the maintenance of the building in the right hands.

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