No one can ignore the increasing requirement for fire safety in buildings. It is our duty—and is most cases a legal requirement—to prevent fire from spreading from floor to floor via the penetrations left by recessed light fixtures.

Fire-rated ceilings are usually mandatory in condominiums, assisted living facilities, living spaces above garages, dormitories, and other multi-story buildings. And, according to the International Building Code: “Where floor/ceiling assemblies are required to have a minimum one-hour fire resistance rating, recessed fixtures shall be installed such that the required fire resistance will not be reduced.”

Some comply with this code by installing UL classified fire resistance downlighting. Typically these recessed lights are comprised of fire stopping material permanently attached to a steel housing.

But Tenmat offers another option—one that is easy to install and flexible: the Tenmat type FF109-300 Fire Rated Recessed Light Cover, designed for use over UL Listed IC-rated recessed incandescent and fluorescent recessed cans. In a fire situation, the Tenmat cover expands internally to fill all the available space with a fire-resistant highly insulating char. The fire is unable to penetrate the hole and the cover is able to give additional insulation protection to the ceiling void.

The cover offers freedom in fixture selection because it is suited to fit a wide range of recessed fixtures, saves energy by limiting the amount of heat lost through the recessed light aperture.

Those interested in learning just how easy it is to get Tenmat covers can ask Bayley Construction in Claremont, Calif. A number of Tenmat covers to be used for the Pitzer College student housing project phase 1, have been shipped within hours from the order allowing the builder to meet the construction deadlines.