Colorado contractor installs a fast, more flexible firestop sleeve

Firestop solution offers more efficiency on the jobsite.

HoldRite HydroFlame firestop systems are water, smoke and firestop product systems that provide a water seal for unwanted water intrusion while still protecting against the spread of fire, smoke and gases. The products are UL listed, and also have water dam and water module accessories available for added water-tight requirements. *Photo credit: Reliance Worldwide Corp.*

The HoldRite HydroFlame Pro Series’ design transforms how cast-in-place firestop solutions are installed, the company says. The patented telescoping design eliminates the need to cut sleeves on the jobsite and the locator whiskers take the hassle out of finding buried sleeves after a concreate pour. The integrated threaded cap allows for easy non-destructive removal and meets OSHA hole cover requirements. *Photo credit: Reliance Worldwide Corp.*

Spencer Bell has been a fan of HoldRite plumbing brackets and the TESTRITE DWV testing system for years. So recently, when he heard that HoldRite had innovated the cast-in-place firestop sleeve process, he didn’t waste time learning more about it.

After having learned about the product, Bell, who is a quality control manager in Morrison, Colorado, sees huge benefits to HoldRite’s HydroFlame Pro lab-tested UL-listed cast-in-place firestop solution, and looks forward to trying it on upcoming projects.

“I love the adjustability to it,” Bell says. “You can adjust the length of it to whatever thickness of slab that you have.”

The cast-in-place firestop features a telescoping PVC design with an incorporated mid-body seal for water damming, and locator whiskers on the cap to find the sleeves after concrete has been poured. But what’s most interesting to Bell is that HydroFlame Pro offers flexibility in terms of pipe size and pipe straightness.

“With some of the competitors out there, there’s no forgiveness when it comes to the inside diameter of the sleeve and the outside diameter of the pipe that’s passing through it,” he notes. “If that pipe isn’t perfectly straight, you are really causing some headaches for yourself.

“HydroFlame offers the flexibility to not have to be dead center in that sleeve or straight up and down,” Bell adds.

He explains that the mid-body seal on the inside of the pipe can accept a range of pipe sizes. Another plus, Bell says, is the product’s incorporated water dam, which comes included on the HydroFlame. The mid-body seal prevents water from going down the sleeve and ruining the floor below.

Finally, having color-coded whiskers on top of the sleeve cap is another time-saver, Bell points out.

“So, when they do a concrete pour, you know where the sleeves are,” he says. “Otherwise, you’re going through the floor with a hammer trying to figure out where the sleeve is.”

When it comes to specifying firestop sleeves, Bell says there tends to be two schools of thought: Choosing the cheapest product, or choosing smarter products that may cost more but are also more efficient. With HydroFlame, he adds, the efficiency and flexibility of the product offer a lot of promise.

“I lean on whatever’s easier for the guys in the field. So, if it costs a little bit more money for something but it’s a heck of a lot more efficient, that’s my preference.”

Darlene Byrne is a senior marketing professional with two decades of experience in marketing communications, sales/marketing campaigns and comprehensive marketing plans in the building materials industry. Since joining HoldRite in 2012, Byrne has successfully elevated the HoldRite brand by interconnecting print and digital media campaigns to ensure the company is recognized as a best in class brand throughout the plumbing industry.

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