The Grenfell fire was a wake-up call for all of us in the United Kingdom and has resulted in governmental bodies, block owners and homeowners taking steps to protect themselves, their tenants and their properties in a variety of ways.
Nearly two years later the demand for retrofitting sprinkler systems in single-family homes and both low-rise and high-rise blocks is possibly as strong as it has ever been. This demand has naturally put a strain on the market in terms of the ability to design and complete these projects.
While such demand is a positive step, there are concerns. One of the major issues is finding qualified contractors who have the skills to take on and properly complete such an important task.
Perhaps more importantly, there are more jobs than qualified contractors. Yet that does not prevent unqualified contractors from taking on jobs they may have no business quoting to begin with.
As the owner of any building – private home, private block or government block – it is important to ensure that the firm designing and installing your fire sprinkler system is an accredited, experienced contractor.
The surge in demand may have created a logjam in terms of getting a sprinkler system project underway, but you cannot let that get in the way of ensuring a project is completed competently.
Beware of accepting a low bid from a contractor who tells you he or she can “get started right away.” A project such as this should be no different, in most respects, than any other physical improvement such as roofing, insulation or windows when it comes to vetting your contractor.
When considering a prospective contractor for such an important project, make sure they can provide both a list of projects they have completed (preferably with historical images) as well as a list of current references that can speak on their behalf. Their work history should match the level of project you are interviewing for – large, medium or small. They should be familiar with local codes and laws.
This is not to say that a new contractor is not qualified. There are qualified new tradespeople getting into the business every day – those who have labored long and hard to train, likely under an experienced contractor, and become educated before striking out on their own.
This is where accreditation serves to separate the professionals from others.
Contractors can earn accreditation for fire sprinkler installation from sources such as:
One final note. When you specify BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems CPVC (Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) compound supplied by Lubrizol, which contains excellent smoke and flame-resistant characteristics, our manufacturing partners expertly convert the material into consistently performing BlazeMaster CPVC pipes and fittings. The key – our manufacturing partners sell only to certified fire protection system installers.