Passive Fire Protection Surveys Exeter, Devon & the South West

FRAEW Surveys & External Wall Fire Risk Assessments

Ensuring the safety of your building’s external wall system is now a critical requirement for landlords, managing agents, and responsible persons. At Vesta Sol Fire Protection, we provide professional FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls) surveys to help you understand risk, achieve compliance, and protect occupants.

SERVICES

Compartmentation / Fire Door Survey
1 hr
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What is an FRAEW?

An FRAEW is a specialist fire risk assessment focused specifically on the external wall construction of a building. It evaluates how materials such as cladding, insulation, balconies, and cavity barriers could contribute to fire spread.

FRAEWs are typically carried out in accordance with:

PAS 9980 methodology
Guidance from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
UK government fire safety guidance for multi-occupied residential buildings

The outcome helps determine the level of risk and whether remedial works are required.

When is an FRAEW Required?

You may need an FRAEW if:

Your building has cladding or external wall systems
You are a landlord or managing agent of a multi-occupied residential building
You require an EWS1 form for mortgage or refinancing purposes
Your Fire Risk Assessment has identified concerns with the external wall
You need to demonstrate compliance with the Fire Safety Act 2021

passive-fire-protection-company-exeter-devon

What Our FRAEW Survey Includes

Our competent assessors carry out a detailed and methodical appraisal, including:

Review of building construction and design information
Inspection of external wall materials (cladding, insulation, fixings)
Assessment of cavity barriers and fire stopping within external walls
Identification of potential fire spread risks
Consideration of balconies, attachments, and façade features
Liaison with intrusive inspection specialists if required

We follow a structured risk-based approach to ensure clarity and accuracy.

What Sectors we Cover?

🏢 Commercial & Business

Offices & Corporate Buildings
Retail Units & Shopping Centres
Hotels, Hostels & Serviced Apartments
Restaurants, Bars & Leisure Venues

🏥 Healthcare

Hospitals
Clinics & GP Practices
Care Homes & Assisted Living Facilities

🏫 Education

Schools
Colleges & Universities
Nurseries & Early Years Settings

🏠 Residential

Apartment Blocks
High-Rise Residential Buildings
HMOs & Multi-Occupancy Housing
Student Accommodation

🏭 Industrial & Infrastructure

Warehouses & Distribution Centres
Manufacturing Facilities
Plant Rooms & Service Areas

🏛️ Public & Community Buildings

Local Authority Buildings
Government & Civic Buildings
Community Centres
Places of Worship

🏗️ Construction & Property

New Build Developments
Refurbishment & Fit-Out Projects
Property Management Portfolios

FRAEW Report & Outcomes

Following the survey, you will receive a comprehensive report that includes:

A clear risk rating (low / medium / high)
Identification of defects and areas of concern
A prioritised action plan for remediation (if required)
Guidance on whether further investigation or intrusive surveys are needed
Support towards EWS1 certification where applicable

Our reports are written in a practical, easy-to-understand format—so you know exactly what steps to take next.

Don’t leave fire safety to chance. Book a Passive Fire Protection Survey with Vesta Sol today to ensure your property is compliant, safe, and protected.

📍 Serving Exeter, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Cornwall, Somerset, and the wider South West UK.

📞 Contact Vesta Sol today for a free consultation and quote.

Specialising in all aspects of Passive Fire Protection from small projects with our small works division, to large projects valuing a million pounds.

With our long history and highly skilled workforce you can rest assured in the knowledge that your passive fire protection will be dealt with professionally with full third party accreditation.

Our workforce are fully trained and compliant in all aspects of health and safety, including SMSTS, CITB, CSCS, IPAF and PASMA trained and our polices and procedures are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure site safety measures and adhered to.

· Intumescent Painting of Structural Steelwork
· Fire Stopping Installations
· Cavity Barriers
· Fire Protective Boarding and Encasement
of Steel Columns
· Fire Barriers
· Air Sealing
· Fire Protection Cold Rolled Steel Framed Buildings
· Small Works Division

Looking for a Complete Fire Risk Assessment?

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Looking for expert fire stopping services in Exeter or across Devon? Our certified team provides comprehensive passive fire protection solutions that help prevent the spread of fire and smoke, protect structural integrity, and ensure your building complies with UK fire safety regulations.

We work with contractors, developers, landlords, and facilities managers to deliver effective fire stopping across a wide range of sectors.

INTUMESCENT PAINTING OF STRUCTURAL STEEL WORK

Intumescent paint is a type of paint that expands when exposed to high temperatures. This expansion creates a protective layer of char that insulates the underlying material from the heat. Intumescent paint is often used to protect structural steel in buildings, as it can help to prevent the steel from buckling or collapsing in the event of a fire.

Increased fire resistance: Intumescent paint can provide up to 120 minutes of fire resistance, giving people more time to evacuate a building in the event of a fire.
Reduced risk of structural damage: Intumescent paint can help to prevent structural steel from buckling or collapsing in a fire, which can help to protect people and property.
Increased lifespan: Intumescent paint can help to extend the lifespan of structural steel, as it protects the steel from corrosion and other forms of damage.

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FIRE STOPPING INSTALLATIONS

Penetration Sealing Systems include Intumescent mastics, Ablative Batts, fire barriers and fire compounds.

Time is of the essence when it comes to slowing down the spread of fire and firestopping when installed alongside other passive fire protection such as firewalls, can inhibit the spread of fire for up to four hours, allowing people to leave the building and the fire services to arrive.

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FIRE BARRIERS

Fire Barrier Systems are used to inhibit the spread of flames, heat and smoke through concealed spaces such as roofs and ceiling voids.

Fire Barrier Systems are essential to prevent the rapid spread of fire in concealed spaces within a building.

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AIR SEALING

Vesta Sol Fire Protection Exeter experts in cost-effective and highly efficient Air Sealing. We seal all joints and gaps within buildings to improve air flow efficiency.

Air leakage can be a major contributing factor to the spread of smoke and fire within buildings.
Sealing those gaps effectively not only protects against the spread of smoke and fire, it also contributes to a more energy efficient building, saving you money and protecting you assets.

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CAVITY BARRIERS

Our Boarded Fire Protection systems offer excellent protection and the correct level of protection for your needs.

The regulation requires that buildings have measures in place to control the spread of flames.
Fire cavity barriers do just this – they help to divide and compartmentalise concealed cavities so that the fire is contained.
This helps to keep the fire in a single compartment rather than spread rapidly.

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PROJECTS