Features

The fireproofing specialists

18 Aug , 2020  

Fitzpatrick & Heavey Construction is a multifaced development company, offering the highest quality building and construction advice to the commercial and residential sectors. It is also recognised as one of Ireland’s leading fireproofing providers, offering the complete construction package under one roof.

Established in 2012 by Ciaran Fitzpatrick and Michael Heavey, who hail from Tipperary and Westmeath respectively, Fitzpatrick & Heavey is a young but rapidly expanding development firm which prides itself on being able to provide the highest quality building and construction services. With over 20 years’ combined experience in the sector, Ciaran and Michael aim to exceed client expectations and deliver your construction project on time and without compromise.

The development and transformation of properties is the company’s forte and it has grown exponentially in recent years thanks to the exceptionally high standard of service that it offers clients in the greater Dublin area. Fitzpatrick & Heavey is run and driven by a team that is made up of some of the most talented and skilful professionals in the industry. Its team of tradesmen, architects, designers, engineers and surveyors have the experience, knowledge and expertise that enables Fitzpatrick & Heavey to provide some of the finest residential and commercial properties Ireland has to offer.

“We specialise in extensions, refurbishments, new builds, fire proofing and a small bit of property acquisition. We work in both the residential and commercial sectors, employ 14 staff directly and many more on a sub-contract basis,” contracts manager Alan Kirwan explains.

The Dublin-based contractor has worked on many different types of commercial projects, ranging from state-of-the-art office developments to industrial units and everything in between, including retail, hotel and leisure centres, manufacturing facilities and pharmaceutical plants. Its team of experts are at the forefront of the major commercial building developments in and around Dublin. One of the many factors that sets this exceptional company apart from its competitors is the way in which it tackles management. The Fitzpatrick & Heavey team oversee all aspects of the project, ensuring a high-quality result on every job.

Among the projects Fitzpatrick & Heavey has successfully completed is Cashel Business Centre in Crumlin, Dublin 12. Cashel Business Centre is a three-storey office building which was constructed in two blocks, with the ground floor and first floor interconnected. The property is approximately 28,384ft (2,637 sq. m) and includes a car park with space for 50 cars. Fitzpatrick & Heavey was contracted to carry out the following works: specialist fireproofing services for the entire building, involving upgrade of all steel work, fireproofing with intumescent paint and certification; design and fit-out of 12,000 sq. ft which was previously shell and core; an ongoing service contract for all repair works at the site, with a 24-hour response time.

Currently, Fitzpatrick & Heavey is carrying out full fireproofing upgrades at the Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo and the Kilashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare. It is also undertaking a gym fit-out for Energie Fitness in Artane, Dublin 5.

Fitzpatrick & Heavey is a one-stop shop for all your fireproofing requirements and is one of only a handful of hotel contractor specialists in Ireland. As the first line of defence in any building, fire doors should be a number one priority and the company was delighted to support Fire Door Safety Week, which ran from September 25 to October 1.

Fire Door Safety Week was established to raise awareness of the critical role of fire doors, drawing attention to specific issues such as poor installation and maintenance; to engage and educate people, helping the whole building industry and every property owner to understand the correct specification, supply, installation, operation, inspection and maintenance of fire doors, and to encourage building owners and users to check the operation and condition of their fire doors and to report those that aren’t satisfactory.

In a speciality industry such as hotels where the public’s safety is of key concerns, Fitzpatrick & Heavey highlights some key issues which can be detrimental to a building:

•       Defective door closing devices

•       Defective or non-fire-rated glazing used in vision panels

•       Cracked or damaged vision panels

•       Lack of complaint fire door signage

•       Poorly hung door leaf that needs to be repositioned to minimise gaps.

•       Non stamped or non-fire rated ironmongery such as hinges, locks and levers.

•       Damaged woodwork where heavy daily use has damaged the materials over time

•       Replacement of intumescent seals and strips.

Fitzpatrick & Heavey advocate that hotel and facility managers ensure that they engage with a certified fire engineer who is a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers and that they assess fire doors in accordance with the BS 8214 & BS 9999 standards, providing appropriate guidance for the routine inspection and maintenance of fire doors.

Alan Kirwan notes: “As part B of Building Regulations 2006. BS 8214 & BS 9999 recommends that fire doors should be inspected every six months, something which most hotels unfortunately fall behind on. Fire Door Safety is a brilliant initiative to reinforce these checks, and to put fire door inspections back in the forefront of people’s minds and hopefully prevent any tragedies over the coming years”.

Fitzpatrick & Heavey offer fire door audits, fire safety audits, inspections and upgrades all under the one roof. It specialises in fire safety within the hotel sector, guaranteeing your hotel is in full compliance with legal building standards. And full certification is provided upon completion of upgrades to all fire doors.

“We secure a lot of repeat business and would like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients for their support to date,” Alan concludes.

Fitzpatrick & Heavey Construction Ltd

Unit B10 / B11 Greenogue Square,

Greenogue Business Park,

Rathcoole,

Co. Dublin, D24 AC89

Office: +353 (0) 1 9060800

Mobile: +353 (0) 87 9532581

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.fitzheavey.com

This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, December 2019/January 2020, Vol 5 No 11