The BluCube Universal Fire & Acoustic Speaker Hood is a fire hood that also performs as an effective acoustic barrier to help reduce sound leakage to the rooms above. 

Featuring a double-skin of intumescent fabric sandwiching fire-proof foam, the uniquely designed internal collar provides easy-installation, improved fire and acoustic absorbing performance and protection of the speaker from dust ingress. The BluCube UFH01 is a must for every installation. 

Why use a hood? 

Building Regulations require that if you cut an aperture in the ceiling of a room, such as when fitting any lighting, or an in-ceiling speaker, you must ensure that the integrity of the ceiling as an effective fire barrier is maintained. 

How can one size fit all? 

The majority of standard sized ceiling speakers have cutout diameters ranging from 200mm to 250mm. The ready cut aperture of the BluCube Hood is 200mm, and you can enlarge it by simply cutting the fabric using the guides marked on the flange. There is a sewn-in seam to prevent the fabric fraying. 

If the hood needs to be cut to fit a speaker located closer to a joist, it can be cut easily so the aperture is offset from the centre of the hood. This does not affect its performance. 

The hood can also be used for smaller speakers where the cutout diameter required for the speaker is smaller than the aperture of the hood. Simply by sticking the flange running around the bottom of the hood to the top side of the plasterboard ceiling, you can create a bond without relying on the speaker clamping to hold the hood in place. 

Why is an internal collar better? 

It makes the hood easier to fit and it is significantly more effective because it creates a better seal. 

Speakers are generally fitted from beneath the ceiling not from above. So an inner flange makes it easier to fit the hood (from the inside of the hood) to the upper surface of the ceiling plasterboard. An external flange cannot be sealed as effectively and even a small gap will increase the opportunity for dust ingress, and reduce both fire protection and acoustic insulation considerably. BluCube recommend applying a thick, continuous bead of adhesive filler (‘Sticks like’,’GripFill‘ or similar adhesive fillers) between the flange and the upper surface of the plasterboard. 

For ceiling speakers featuring ‘dog-leg fixings’, these can clamp the fabric of the hood to the upper surface of the ceiling making for an even tighter fit. 

What if my joist height is low? 

The BluCube hood can accommodate speakers with a depth up to 200mm. For shallower ceiling voids of less than 150mm, the hood can be compressed without adversely affecting its integrity or performance. Provided your speaker has sufficient clearance in the ceiling void, you only need 2-3mm of additional clearance to accommodate the fabric of the hood. 

How much acoustic absorption is achieved? 

Following extensive acoustic tests, BluCube have estimated the typical sound reduction to be in the order of 2dB. This is a guide as results will often vary between installations due to the variety of other materials that may be present. 

What tests have been performed on the hoods? 

The BluCube hoods have been tested and assessed by Warrington Fire, a renowned and accredited UK testing facility, to British Standard 476 Part 21 in a standard domestic timber-joist and plasterboard ceiling. Their Hoods comfortably performed to such requirements.