The Role of Fire Protection in Refurbishment Projects

A refurbishment project begins with a building that already has a memory.

Walls have been moved. Services have been added. Openings have been formed, closed, reopened and adjusted. Ceilings conceal earlier decisions. Risers carry old and new systems together. Drawings, where they exist, may describe a version of the building that has not been true for years.

This is why fire protection in refurbishment projects requires a different kind of attention.

New-build work has its own pressures, but refurbishment brings a particular uncertainty. The structure is already there. The occupants may still be there. Access is partial. Substrates are not always known. Existing compartmentation may have been damaged by previous works. Service penetrations may be hidden behind finishes or above ceilings. What appears solid on a plan may be much less convincing once opened up.

In refurbishment, passive fire protection is not simply installed. It is discovered, tested, repaired, coordinated and evidenced.

Refurbishment Starts with What Is Already There

The first discipline in refurbishment is not specification. It is investigation.

Before fire protection can be planned properly, the existing building must be understood. That means identifying compartment lines, fire-resisting walls and floors, risers, escape routes, service routes, voids, fire doors, cavity barriers and any existing passive fire protection measures.

This is rarely clean work. Existing buildings carry layers of change. A wall may look continuous below a ceiling but stop short above it. A service riser may have unsealed penetrations from earlier installations. A fire door may have been adjusted repeatedly until its original performance is no longer reliable. A ceiling void may contain services passing through fire-resisting construction with no clear evidence of tested fire stopping.

The building may still be occupied and functioning, but that does not mean the compartmentation remains intact.

A refurbishment project is the opportunity to inspect what has been hidden. It is also the moment when the project team must resist the temptation to assume the existing condition is acceptable simply because it has been there for a long time.

Age is not evidence.

Unknown Substrates Need Careful Assessment

One of the main challenges in refurbishment fire protection is the unknown substrate.

Fire stopping systems, fire-rated boards, cavity barriers, coatings and door assemblies all rely on the construction around them. A tested detail depends on the wall, floor, frame, soffit or structural element being suitable for the system proposed.

In older or altered buildings, that cannot be taken for granted.

A wall may be masonry, blockwork, plasterboard, lath and plaster, composite construction or a mixture of materials created by several phases of work. Floors may include timber joists, concrete slabs, metal decking, historic structures or later infill. Voids may contain combustible materials, old insulation, redundant services or unsupported edges.

The question is not simply which product should be used. The question is whether the existing substrate can support the tested system.

If the substrate is uncertain, it needs to be opened, inspected and assessed. If it is unsuitable, the detail must be redesigned or reinforced. Passive fire protection cannot be made compliant by applying a product to a construction it was never tested with.

The material beneath the finish matters.

Live Buildings Add Another Layer of Responsibility

Many refurbishment projects take place in live buildings. Schools, hospitals, offices, residential blocks, commercial premises and public buildings may continue to operate while works are underway.

This changes the nature of fire protection.

Temporary openings may be formed in compartment walls. Fire doors may be removed or held open for access. Services may be disconnected, rerouted or added. Escape routes may be altered. Dust control, temporary partitions, hot works and storage of materials all affect fire risk during the works.

The permanent fire strategy is not the only concern. The temporary condition also matters.

Principal contractors must consider how compartmentation is maintained during each phase, not only at the end of the project. If a fire-resisting wall is opened for new services, how is the risk managed before the final fire stopping is installed? If a ceiling is removed, what hidden fire protection has been exposed or disturbed? If escape routes are altered, how is the building still used safely?

In refurbishment, there may be several versions of the building during the project. Each version must be managed.

Partial Access Creates Partial Knowledge

Refurbishment rarely offers complete access from the beginning.

Some areas may remain occupied. Some ceilings may stay in place until later phases. Certain rooms may be available only outside working hours. Risers may be accessible from one side. Services may be boxed in. Plant areas may be congested. Structural elements may be hidden behind finishes.

Partial access creates partial knowledge. That is dangerous if treated as certainty.

A fire protection design based on limited inspection should be treated carefully. Assumptions must be recorded. Further opening-up works should be planned. Details should be reviewed as more of the building becomes visible. The programme should allow for discoveries.

This is where refurbishment differs from a clean drawing exercise. The project team may not know the full condition until works are underway. That uncertainty should be managed openly, not buried beneath a fixed programme.

The correct response to partial access is not guesswork. It is staged verification.

Sequencing Is Critical

Sequencing is one of the most important fire protection issues in refurbishment.

Existing buildings often require stripping out, temporary support, service diversions, new penetrations, door replacements, compartment upgrades, ceiling works, fire stopping and final finishes in carefully managed order. If passive fire protection is left until the end, the project may inherit inaccessible openings, damaged substrates, obstructed service clusters and concealed defects.

The sequence should allow fire protection specialists to inspect, install and record work before it is hidden again.

Service penetrations should be planned before walls and ceilings are closed. Cavity barriers should be installed before façade or ceiling works prevent access. Fire door frames should be set into prepared openings, not forced into compromised surrounds. Structural protection should be applied in suitable conditions, with access for inspection. Existing fire stopping should be reviewed after follow-on trades have completed their works.

Poor sequencing turns refurbishment into remedial construction. Proper sequencing keeps the fire strategy connected to the work.

Existing Compartmentation May Not Be Intact

A common weakness in refurbishment projects is the assumption that existing compartmentation remains sound.

It often does not.

Previous tenants, contractors or maintenance teams may have cut penetrations through walls and floors. Cables may have been added above ceilings. Pipework may have been rerouted through risers. Old fire stopping may have been damaged, removed or covered by later works. Fire doors may have been altered, planed, re-glazed or fitted with unsuitable hardware. Cavity barriers may be missing, displaced or never installed to current expectations.

The refurbishment process should expose these issues.

This can be uncomfortable because it creates scope, cost and programme implications. But discovering a defective compartment line is not a nuisance. It is information the building needed to reveal.

The purpose of refurbishment fire protection is not to preserve assumptions. It is to restore integrity.

Service Penetrations Need Particular Care

Refurbishment projects often add or alter services. Electrical systems, data cabling, ventilation, heating, water supplies, sprinkler pipework, alarm systems and mechanical plant may all require new routes through existing construction.

Every penetration through a fire-resisting element must be treated as a designed detail.

This is not always straightforward in older buildings. Openings may be irregular. Substrates may be mixed. Services may be clustered in tight spaces. Existing penetrations may already be poorly sealed. New services may pass close to old ones. Access may be limited.

The correct fire stopping system must match the construction, service type, opening size, required resistance period and manufacturer’s tested evidence. Where the condition falls outside standard details, technical review is required.

A refurbishment project should not collect penetrations like minor scars. Each one must be understood and closed properly.

Fire Doors in Refurbishment

Fire doors are often central to refurbishment work because they sit at the point where compliance, daily use and existing fabric meet.

An existing fire door may not remain compliant simply because it is labelled or scheduled. Gaps may be excessive. Seals may be damaged. Hinges may be loose. Closers may fail. Glazing may have been replaced. Frames may be poorly fixed or surrounded by unprotected gaps. Threshold conditions may have changed after new flooring.

Replacing fire doors also requires care.

The new doorset must suit the wall construction, opening size, required fire resistance period, smoke control requirement and intended use. The frame-to-wall junction must be sealed correctly. Ironmongery must match the tested assembly. Installation must be recorded.

In refurbishment, a fire door is not a standalone item. It is the controlled opening within an existing wall. The wall, frame, leaf and surrounding detail all matter.

Documentation Is Often Weak in Older Buildings

One of the practical difficulties in refurbishment is the lack of reliable existing information.

Original drawings may be missing. Fire strategies may be outdated. Previous works may not have been recorded. Product data may not exist. Areas may have been altered many times without a clear trail.

This creates a responsibility to document the new work properly.

The refurbishment should leave the building better understood than it was before. That means recording installed systems, locations, product data, photographs, inspection records, technical approvals and sign-off information. Where assumptions were made or existing conditions were discovered, these should be recorded clearly.

The Golden Thread principle is particularly relevant here. A refurbished building should not carry forward the same uncertainty with a new finish applied over it.

The evidence trail is part of the improvement.

Working Around Occupants and Operations

Refurbishment fire protection often has to be delivered around people using the building.

This requires planning. Work may need to be phased. Escape routes must remain safe. Temporary protection may be required. Noisy, dusty or disruptive activities may need controlled timing. Fire stopping may need to be completed in sections. Access to risers, rooms and plant areas may require coordination with the building operator.

This operational reality should not reduce the standard of work.

The fact that a building is occupied makes fire protection more important, not less. Temporary compromises must be managed, recorded and resolved. Fire-resisting elements should not be left open without control. Fire doors should not be removed without temporary measures. Service penetrations should not be left unsealed because the area is due to be revisited later.

A live building does not pause its risk while construction catches up.

Inspection Before Re-Concealment

Refurbishment often involves opening up hidden areas, carrying out works, then closing them again. That moment before re-concealment is critical.

Ceiling voids, risers, boxed-in services, wall linings, floor zones and service cupboards should not be closed until fire protection has been inspected and recorded. Once finishes are reinstated, checking becomes harder and more disruptive.

Photographs should show the wider context as well as the detail. Records should identify location, system, product, installer, inspection date and any relevant drawings or technical assessments. Defects should be corrected and rechecked before closure.

A refurbished area may look complete on the surface. The safer question is whether the hidden work behind it has been verified.

Practical QA Checks for Refurbishment Projects

Before passive fire protection works are signed off in a refurbishment project, the project team should check the following:

• Existing compartment lines have been identified and verified.
• Unknown substrates have been opened up and assessed where necessary.
• Existing fire stopping has been inspected for damage or missing details.
• New service penetrations have been sealed using suitable tested systems.
• Fire doors have been checked as complete assemblies, not isolated leaves.
• Temporary fire safety measures have been managed during phased works.
• Sequencing allows inspection before areas are re-concealed.
• Follow-on trades have not damaged completed protection.
• Photographic evidence shows context and completed detail.
• Product data, system references and inspection records are stored for handover.
• Any assumptions or limitations are recorded clearly.

This is the discipline refurbishment demands. It is practical, sometimes awkward, but necessary.

Why JW Simpkin Treats Refurbishment as Investigation and Installation

At JW Simpkin, refurbishment fire protection is treated as both investigation and installation.

The existing building has to be read before it can be corrected. Substrates need to be understood. Compartment lines need to be traced. Hidden penetrations need to be found. Existing doors, risers, voids, walls and service routes need to be checked against the required fire strategy.

Only then can the correct systems be installed, inspected and evidenced.

This approach matters because refurbishment rarely gives the simplicity of a new build. It gives conditions, constraints and discoveries. The standard must remain the same, but the route to achieving it requires greater care.

Fire protection in refurbishment is not a decorative upgrade. It is the repair and reinforcement of the building’s safety logic.

Conclusion: Refurbishment Reveals the Truth of a Building

A refurbishment project has a habit of revealing what the finished building has kept quiet.

Above ceilings, inside risers, behind linings and around old service routes, the real condition of the building begins to appear. Some of it may be sound. Some of it may be incomplete, altered or poorly recorded.

That is not a reason for alarm. It is a reason for method.

Fire protection in refurbishment projects depends on investigation, sequencing, tested systems, access, inspection and evidence. It requires respect for the existing fabric, but not blind trust in it.

The work is often hidden when complete. But it should never be uncertain.

A refurbished building should not simply look renewed. It should be safer, clearer and better understood than it was before.