2 . DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRESTOPPING AND FIREBLOCKING
Often times firestopping products and fireblocking materials are mistakenly interchanged . However , the purpose and application for using a firestopping product versus a fireblocking material differ as described below .
• Firestopping is a process whereby certain materials , some of them specially manufactured , are used to resist ( or stop ) the spread of fire and its byproducts through openings made to accommodate penetrations in fire-rated walls , floors and floor / ceiling assemblies .
• Fireblocking is defined as generic materials such as lumber , structural wood panels , gypsum board , cement fiberboard or particleboard , batts or blankets of glass , or mineral wool , installed within concealed spaces to resist or block the migration of fire and hot gases for an undetermined period . Fire blocking is used to subdivide or block off the stud cavity inside a wall , in a soffit over cabinets , between stair stringers at the top and bottom of a run , in an exterior cornice or in the space between the combustible finish materials and the wall itself .
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➊Fireblocking – the use of approved building material to resist or block the migration of fire and hot gases within concealed spaces .
➋Firestopping – a form of fire protection that is used to seal around penetrations ( openings ) through a fire-rated wall or floor assembly .
Fig . 4 : Difference between firestopping and fire blocking
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