Industry Viewfinder: Revisiting Fire Safety
Installation of aluminium decking boards delivers fire safety to block in London
Timber decking on balconies has been recognised as no longer fit for purpose. We spoke with Richard Izzard, managing director of AliDeck, about a recent fire-safety remediation project in London where aluminium decking provided a compliant solution.
W
ith the monumental change in building regulations for multi-storey developments over recent years, new-
build use of combustible materials such as timber or composite decking on balconies has fallen to zero. However, there are countless existing buildings
across the UK that have already had timber decking installed. Property managers and building owners have increasingly faced the prospect of undertaking fire safety remediation across their portfolio, and progress to a fire-safe future has been a challenge to achieve. A good example of this challenge being met and
overcome is a recently completed project in the heart of London, where balconies on a medium- rise building were in dire need of refurbishment. Not only a fire risk and causing concerns regarding EWS1, the timber decking was also generally very tired and unattractive.
Richard Izzard, managing director of AliDeck,
said: “Our Approved Installer, Alu-Installations, completed the removal of the rotten timber decking and replaced the boards with our aluminium decking boards. At a stroke, this action resolved a highly visible eye-sore for the tenants and to passers-by in the street, and achieved the required level of fire-safety.”
ALUMINIUM DECKING PROVES IDEAL REPLACEMENT FOR TIMBER Timber decking has an expected lifespan of around 10 years, if looked aſter correctly. However, timber requires regular maintenance which, if missed, can lead to the wood quickly degrading and beginning to rot. Without regular reapplication of wood treatment or paint, timber decking loses its beauty quickly. Timber also carries safety risks such as helping
fire spread across external walls of buildings, especially so when balconies are stacked. AliDeck publish an annual Balcony Fires Report which consistently shows that most fires on balconies are caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials, along with a significant incidence of fire caused by barbecues on balconies. “Te building owner specified the use of our
30mm Senior Decking Board, which is A2 fire-rated and non-combustible, and chose the ridged form of the board for additional slip prevention,” continued Richard. “Finished in RAL 7039 Quartz Grey, the
24 | HMMAugust/September 2022 |
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