Blog

While others may say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” I don’t subscribe to this way of thinking. In fact, I have found myself at odds with individuals or entire organizations because I believed there was a better way of doing something – that there is always room for improvement. I first got into...

In commercial construction, we refer to the International Building Code (IBC) as a base code standard for protecting public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction of buildings. Published by the International Code Council (ICC), the IBC has been adopted throughout the United States and in some countries in the Middle...

Transparency where your fire rated glass comes from In the last decade or so, American consumers have demanded more transparency when it comes to the products that they buy.  Architects and building owners are starting to apply the same principle to the building products that they select and purchase for their projects.  Whether it’s meeting...

Since 2004, SAFTI FIRST has been writing articles aimed to educate building officials, designers, glazing contractors and the public on the two types of fire rated glazing products based on performance: fire protective, which meant it blocked smoke and flames only and met NFPA 252/257, or fire resistive, which meant it blocked smoke, flames and...

The end of every year is usually a time to reflect on the year that was, and think of hopes and wishes for the coming year. Looking back, it is hard to ignore the natural disasters that we have endured as a nation: Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida, Hurricane Maria in Puerto...

It’s undeniable that Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has built a reputation as a premiere agency that tests and lists fire rated glazing products. In addition to doing a tremendous job at testing and listing products, UL is also an accredited standards developer in the US: For fire protective (or fire-protection-rated) glazing, UL has developed UL 9,...

London fire shines spotlight on fire prevention, protection and education It has been a month since news of the tragic Grenfell Tower Fire in London shook the entire world.  While the investigation is still underway, many experts have been weighing in on how a tragedy of this magnitude could have happened, and how it can...

The ASTM E-119 test is the most stringent and most difficult test to pass for all fire rated glazing assemblies. Glazing that meets the ASTM E-119 standard are classified as “fire resistive” or “fire-resistance-rated” in Chapter 7 of the IBC. Marked with a “W”, it can be used as fire barriers in exit enclosures, exit...

It may look like a regular window, but these advanced fire resistive glazing systems are recognized in the code as transparent walls because of its ability to block smoke, flames and significantly limit the passage of dangerous radiant heat. This month, Architect’s Guide to Glass called exterior applications of fire rated glazing as the “the...

After SAFTI’s 38 years in the fire rated glazing industry, I still get asked, “what does ‘SAFTI’ in SAFTI FIRST mean?” I also get the question as to why I formed a separate company when O’Keeffe’s Incorporated was already an established company and brand in the architectural glazing community for our leadership in monumental skylight...