Leading manufacturer Glidevale Protect has launched Protect FrameSafe FR - a new Class A2-s1, d0 flame retardant external wall breather membrane offering fire protection across low, medium and high-rise buildings.
Featuring an intricately woven glass fibre fabric with a uniquely developed waterproof and fire-resistant coating, Protect FrameSafe FR is a high-performance breather wall membrane for use on the external side of the frame to integrate with façade wall structures.
Designed to exceed Building Regulations Approved Document Part B, Protect FrameSafe FR is future-proofed against future regulation changes. The current Building Regulations for fire safety states that external wall membranes must achieve at least a Class B fire rating for structures over 11m - Protect FrameSafe FR has a Class A2 reaction to fire. It has been independently fire tested by an external laboratory, both free hanging as well as part of a system in an end use application and fixed over A1 and A2 substrates using Protect FR tape, which is also available to seal laps. It is also fully compliant with the test methods contained within EN 13501-1, making it the perfect solution for higher-risk buildings as defined in the 2022 Building Safety Act. This includes student accommodation, schools, hospitals, offices, and care homes, and it is suitable for many developments in London where there is a combustible material ban on external walls of buildings. In addition, the product can be used for housing developments where the property wall has a minimum separation distance of 1m to the relevant boundary.
Protect FrameSafe FR lends itself for use on a wide range of residential and commercial developments across all building heights, providing strong UV stability and up to six months of exposure before being covered. It is ideally suited to modular and offsite construction projects for use on both steel and timber framed buildings as well as on high-rise buildings where full rain-screen cladding systems are also installed.
John Mellor, Head of Marketing from Glidevale Protect, commented on the new product:
It goes without saying that fire safety is a fundamental part of any build, but especially critical with higher risk projects such as high rise residential accommodation. It’s also crucial that product testing takes into account fire performance as part of the whole building system so that specifiers have a transparent picture. When we were developing Protect FrameSafe FR and undertaking our due diligence, we knew the product needed to tick all the boxes and be a true ‘hidden protector’ that is fully independently fire tested.
Produced in the UK at the company’s Nottinghamshire factory, Protect FrameSafe FR is both UKCA and CE marked with full independent fire test certification available. For further product details, please visit www.glidevaleprotect.com/framesafe, or for all recommended mechanical fixings and full specification guidance, contact Glidevale Protect’s technical team at technical@glidevaleprotect.com.
