G.S. Stothers Smoke Ventilation Specialists

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G.S. Stothers Smoke Ventilation Specialists

G.S Stothers specialises Smoke Ventilation projects throughout NI, ROI and Mainland UK, a

01/09/2026

You may have heard the term smoke shaft, but what exactly is it, and what role does it play in a building’s fire safety strategy?

In the event of a fire, smoke can quickly spread into corridors, lobbies and other communal areas, potentially affecting visibility and access to escape routes.

A smoke shaft is designed to help manage that smoke, providing a dedicated vertical route through which smoke and heat can be removed from the building.

The shaft itself is only one part of the story.

Smoke control dampers, automatic opening vents, detection and control systems and, depending on the design, mechanical extract fans, can all work together as part of the complete smoke control strategy.

And there’s another important distinction: natural and mechanical smoke shafts don’t operate in quite the same way.

In Issue 4 of our Life Safety Explained series, we take a closer look at:

🔹 What a smoke shaft actually is

🔹 How a smoke shaft system operates

🔹The difference between natural and mechanical smoke shafts

🔹 Why correct design and commissioning matter

🔹 The importance of maintaining the whole system, not simply its individual components

At G.S. Stothers, we work with smoke ventilation systems throughout their complete lifecycle, from initial design and technical consultancy through to installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance.

Because effective smoke control isn’t about one component. It’s about ensuring the entire system is designed to work together when it matters most.

Read 'Life Safety Explained: What is a Smoke Shaft?' here 👉 https://gsstothers.com/life-safety-explained-what-is-a-smoke-shaft/

31/08/2026

A reminder that our office is closed today for the Bank Holiday. We will re-open at 8:00am tomorrow.

If you are in contract and have an emergency, please dial 028 4277 2931 Option 1, to be put through to our on-call engineer.

27/08/2026

Our office will be closed from 3:30pm on Friday 28th August and will re-open at 8:00am on Tuesday 1st September.

If you are in contract and have an emergency, please dial 028 4277 2931 Option 1, to be put through to our on-call engineer.

Wishing staff and customers a restful and enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend.

25/08/2026

This September, G.S. Stothers is proud to be supporting National Food Bank Day, helping to collect much-needed food for people and families in our local community.

We’re inviting our team, clients, suppliers and anyone who would like to get involved to drop off non-perishable food donations at the G.S. Stothers office between now and 3rd September.

Tins, pasta, rice, cereals, long-life products and other store-cupboard essentials are all welcome. Even adding one or two extra items to your weekly shop can make a difference, and together we’re hoping to build a fantastic collection.

📍 Donations can be dropped into the G.S. Stothers office

📅 Final day for donations: 3rd September

National Food Bank Day takes place on 4th September, so we'd love to have a brilliant G.S. Stothers collection ready to donate.

24/08/2026

We're pleased to have completed our work at Parkview Apartments in Ballymun, where G.S. Stothers was responsible for the supply, installation and commissioning of the natural smoke ventilation system.

In residential developments, effective smoke ventilation forms an important part of the overall fire safety strategy. In the event of a fire, the system is designed to help manage the movement of smoke, protecting communal escape routes and supporting safer evacuation for residents.

From installation through to final commissioning, our team worked to ensure the system was fully operational and performing as designed before handover.

It's always great to see a project reach completion and another G.S. Stothers system successfully delivered.

A big thank you to everyone involved in getting Parkview Apartments over the line.

20/08/2026

At Fort Wayne Metals in Castlebar, our team is delivering work across both the building's day-to-day natural ventilation and natural smoke ventilation systems.

For the site's natural day-to-day ventilation system, G.S. Stothers is responsible for the complete delivery of the solution, from initial design through to supply, installation and final commissioning.

Alongside this, we are also reinstating the site's natural smoke ventilation system, including its associated controls, bringing this important life safety system back into operation.

Fort Wayne Metals is a global manufacturer of precision wire and components, primarily serving the medical device sector. Its Castlebar facility forms an important part of the company's international manufacturing operations, creating a specialist industrial environment where both effective everyday ventilation and reliable life safety systems have important roles to play.

Natural day-to-day ventilation uses carefully designed openings and the natural movement of air to provide airflow through a building. Getting that right requires much more than simply selecting a product. The system needs to be considered as part of the building itself, taking into account how air will enter, move through and leave the space to achieve the required ventilation strategy.

The natural smoke ventilation system has a very different purpose. Designed to help control the movement of smoke in the event of a fire, the system and its controls form part of the building's wider life safety strategy.

It's a great example of the breadth of expertise within G.S. Stothers.

From designing and delivering a system that supports the building's everyday operation to reinstating the specialist smoke ventilation and controls designed to perform in an emergency, our team is able to support both sides of the ventilation requirement.

18/08/2026

Another exciting project underway for the G.S. Stothers team.

We’re pleased to have been appointed to carry out the design, installation and commissioning of the smoke ventilation systems throughout Carrybridge Hotel.

Our involvement from the design stage allows our team to consider the requirements of the building from the outset, developing a smoke ventilation solution that integrates with the wider fire strategy before taking it through installation and final commissioning.

For a hotel environment, where guests may be unfamiliar with the building and its escape routes, carefully designed life safety systems play an important role in supporting safe evacuation in the event of a fire.

From initial design and technical coordination through to our engineers on site and final system testing, G.S. Stothers will provide a coordinated approach throughout each stage of the project.

It’s another great addition to our growing portfolio across the hospitality sector, and with work now progressing on site, we’re looking forward to sharing more from Carrybridge Hotel as the project develops.

13/08/2026

A successful smoke ventilation system starts long before installation. Behind every G.S. Stothers project is a significant amount of technical work to make sure the proposed system is right for the building, meets the relevant requirements and can be delivered effectively on site.

Our in-house design team works closely with architects, consultants and contractors from the early stages of a project, providing support across:

🔹 CFD Modelling to understand how smoke and heat are likely to behave within a building.

🔹 Free Area Calculations to establish the ventilation requirements and ensure openings provide the required performance.

🔹 Regulatory Advice & Guidance to help project teams navigate the relevant standards and requirements.

🔹 Project Design to develop a smoke ventilation solution around the individual building and its fire strategy.

🔹 Product Selection to specify the most appropriate equipment for the system and application.

🔹 CAD & BIM Details to coordinate our systems with the wider building design before installation begins.

Getting these details right at the design stage can help identify potential issues earlier, improve coordination between trades and make the installation process much smoother.

So, while you might see our engineers installing or commissioning a system on site, there's often been a considerable amount of work behind the scenes before they ever arrive.

At G.S. Stothers, we're not simply installers. We can support a smoke ventilation project from initial design and technical guidance right through to installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance.

Have a project at design stage? Talk to our team today.

06/08/2026

Looking for your next challenge? We're looking for an Electrical Maintenance Engineer to join our growing team.

This is an opportunity to work with one of Northern Ireland's leading smoke ventilation specialists, delivering planned maintenance, reactive support and installations across a diverse portfolio of commercial, healthcare, education and residential projects.

If you're a qualified electrical engineer with strong fault-finding skills and a passion for delivering high standards, we'd love to hear from you.

APPLY NOW on NIJobs 👉 https://www.nijobs.com/job/Electrical-Maintenance-Engineer/a-job107804138

Alternatively, you can send your CV and cover letter to: [email protected]

For the full job description and to explore our current vacancies, visit www.gsstothers.com.

05/08/2026

This month, we're shining the spotlight on Ian McCosh, one of our Project Managers.

Ian joined G.S. Stothers after an impressive 23-year career in the telecommunications industry, where he worked his way up from installer to Business Cabling Manager. His extensive technical knowledge and hands-on experience make him a valuable member of our growing project management team.

What attracted Ian to G.S. Stothers was the opportunity to join a respected family business with an excellent reputation. After meeting with Jonny, he immediately felt welcomed and recognised that the business offered the chance to continue learning, develop new skills and grow his career.

As his first role in project management, Ian has embraced the challenge. He particularly values the guidance and support he's received, enjoying the opportunity to learn from Jonny and develop week by week. For Ian, one of the biggest highlights of the role is that no two days are ever the same, with every project bringing something new.

Away from work, Ian is just as passionate about football. He has been coaching a girls' football team for the past two years and is a proud supporter of his son's football journey, celebrating his recent signing with Harland & Wolff Welders Football Club. When he's not on the touchline, Ian enjoys travelling and making the most of holidays abroad with his family.

We're delighted to have Ian as part of Team G.S. Stothers and look forward to seeing him continue to grow in his role.

Address

Unit 10, Bluebuild Business Park, 210 Quarry Heights
Newtownards
BT237SZ

Website

http://www.gsstothers.com/

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