What we install
We install fire-rated partition, ceiling, shaft and encasement systems to the manufacturer's tested details — typically the Promat, Siniat and British Gypsum systems, selected according to the rating, the structure and what the space has to do.
That covers fire-rated stud partitions from 30 to 120 minutes; fire-rated ceilings and ceiling membranes; riser and shaft walls, including the constructions used where there is access from one side only; structural steel encasement; and fire-rated boarding to soffits, ducts and enclosures.
Why the tested detail is the whole job
Every fire-rated construction carries a classification that belongs to a specific, tested build-up. The test report says which board, at which thickness, how many layers, on which stud at which centres, fixed with which screws at which spacing, with which joint treatment, and how the head and base are detailed against the structure.
In the field, each of those gets casually substituted. A different board of the same thickness. Stud centres opened out to save material. A single layer where the test had two. Screws at 300mm where the test used 200mm. A head gap stuffed with mineral wool instead of the tested deflection head detail. Every one of those changes takes the wall outside the evidence it was classified under — and there is no way to prove a rating after the fact except by testing it, which nobody is going to do.
So we build to the detail, record what we built, and hand over the test reference. If a design requires a build-up nobody has tested, we say so and propose one that has been.
The bit most contractors leave behind
A fire-rated wall is finished when it is sealed, not when it is boarded. The perimeter — head, base and abutments — and every service crossing it are part of the fire-resisting construction, and they are the most common point of failure in the whole assembly.
Because we hold BM TRADA Q-Mark scheme 05B certification for fire stopping installation, the head-of-wall joints, deflection heads, perimeter seals, penetrations and blank openings in the walls we build are installed and certified as fire stopping in their own right, to the tested detail for that junction, and recorded asset by asset.
That is the practical argument for taking the partition and the fire stopping from the same contractor: nobody can tell you the seal was somebody else's responsibility.
Where this work usually comes from
- Refurbishment and fit-out where compartment lines are being changed or reinstated.
- Remedial programmes following a compartmentation survey that found walls not achieving their required rating.
- Riser and shaft enclosures in commercial buildings, particularly where access is single-sided.
- Structural steel encasement where applied protection is impractical or has been damaged.
- Plant rooms, substations and switch rooms requiring a defined separation from the rest of the building.
- Making good after other trades — the wall that was cut through to get a duct in and never properly closed.
What is certified, and what is not
Our BM TRADA Q-Mark scheme 05B certification covers fire stopping installation — penetration seals, linear joints, cavity barriers and blank openings. Fire-rated drylining and partition construction is installed to the manufacturer's tested system details and fully evidenced, but it is not within the Q-Mark scheme scope and we do not present it as certified work. Where a client needs the partition itself third-party certified, we will say so and help you specify accordingly.
The deliverable, every time
Tested system references — The classification report and datasheet for every construction, so the rating can be traced back to evidence.
As-built photographic record — Images taken before the wall was closed — the only evidence that will exist once it is boarded.
Certified fire stopping records — Every head-of-wall joint, perimeter seal and penetration recorded as a separate asset under scheme 05B.
A clear scope statement — Written confirmation of which elements are third-party certified and which are installed to tested detail outside scheme scope.
From enquiry to certification
Enquiry
Tell us about the building and the works you need.
Site survey
Every asset inspected, photographed and QR-tagged.
Specification
Clear scope and pricing against tested systems.
Certified works
Competency-assessed operatives under scheme control.
Evidence pack
Photos, registers and product data for every asset.
Certification
Q-Mark labelled, registered and traceable for life.
Answered by the people who do the work
More on the full FAQ page.
Do you install partitions on their own, or only with fire stopping?
Either. Most clients take both from us because it removes the argument about where one trade's responsibility ends, but we are happy to install the fire-stopping element to a partition another contractor has built — we will assess it first and tell you if the construction itself is not achieving its rating.
Which systems do you use?
We work principally with the Promat, Siniat and British Gypsum tested systems. The right one depends on rating, height, structure and whether access is available from both sides. We select against the test evidence, not against price alone.
Is the partition itself covered by your Q-Mark certification?
No, and we will not claim otherwise. Our BM TRADA Q-Mark scheme 05B certification covers fire stopping installation — the seals, joints and penetrations. The drylining itself is installed to the manufacturer's tested system details and evidenced with the test reference, board specification and photographic record, but it sits outside the Q-Mark scheme scope. We tell clients which elements are third-party certified and which are not, because the distinction matters at handover.
Can you work in an occupied building?
Yes. Partition work is dusty and noisy, so it is usually programmed out of hours or into phased possessions. We plan it that way from the outset rather than discovering the problem on week one.
What evidence do we get?
The tested system reference and datasheets, board and fixing specification as built, photographs of the construction before it was closed up, and a separate certified record for every seal and penetration.
Related pages
Tell us about the building.
Send over what you have — a drawing, an old report, or just a description — and we will come back with a scope and a fixed price. Call 020 8769 8869.
Ask about fire-rated partitions
Send us the details and anything you already have — drawings, an old survey or photos. We will be in touch within one working day.
- BM TRADA Q-Mark certified, certificate 4515
- Named Approved Persons accountable for the work
- Every asset photographed and recorded
Prefer to talk? Call 020 8769 8869 (Mon–Fri 07:30–17:30) or email fire@arcticltd.com.