As we have documented, shims of different materials play a critical, if unsung role in creating order out of the world’s chaos of imperfections. They level parts into place, hold components until they can be fastened, and take up space where gaps should not exist.
But contractors and do-it-yourselfers should pay attention to shims when they become permanent fixtures in their construction projects. That’s because shims that remain in place to align doors and windows or maintain the space between joints should perform just as well as the materials surrounding it. That is particularly crucial when it comes to fire resistance.
It makes little sense to install fire-rated doors and windows, and then jeopardize the protection they offer by using shims that burn, melt, or emit harmful smoke and fumes. Grove Shims’ line of fire-rated plastic shims ensures there are no weak links in the fire-protection chain.
Grove’s fire-rated shims are made from fire-resistant ABS. We can manufacture any of our stock shims in fire-rated plastic. Our fire-rated shims are UL 94 V-0 compliant for special requirements and flammability standards.
Our fire-rated plastic shims include the following properties:
These properties prevent fire ignition and spread, helping to maintain the integrity and structure of fire-rated doors and windows to extend the timeframe for egress during an emergency. Their ability to retard the spread of fire and to self-extinguish limits property damage and reduces the chance of injury.
Plastic’s advantage over wood in applications that will be exposed to high heat or potential fire hazards is obvious. But fire-rated plastic shims also are the right choice even when compared to noncombustible steel, aluminum, and copper. Metal is heavy, expensive, and difficult to cut and shape – major considerations when hanging dozens of windows and doors in a home or hundreds in an office tower or apartment building.
Just as important, fire-rated shims are resilient. Unlike metal and wood, they can compress under heavy loads, then return to their original shape after the load is relieved. Resilience is crucial in many window, cladding, and wall panel applications. Plastic shims absorb the pressure and prevent brittle materials such as glass and stone from rubbing and chipping. The ability to perform these functions during a fire adds a layer of safety for building occupants and emergency responders. Maintaining the integrity of inlaid windows mitigates the danger of cuts and provides a barrier to firebrands so flames cannot spread easily.
Whatever shape or size you need, Grove Shims can manufacture plastic shims to include fire-rating properties. Contact us to learn more about fire-rated plastic shims and to custom-order the fire-safe, self-extinguishing shims required for code compliance and fire-safety applications.
