It has never been more vital to ensure our buildings are fire resistant. Government regulations are becoming stricter each year, and the number of people working in offices continues to rise. To ensure we are working within the law, protecting our buildings and keeping people safe, let’s take a look at some common building materials that could benefit from a fire resistant coating.
Wooden Structures
Wood has always been susceptible to fire. We need only take a look through history or at the recent forest fires in Australia to see how easily fire can eat through wood. Luckily for us, however, there are several protective coatings available to us that can make our wood more resistant to fire. Although it is possible to make wood entirely flame resistant, it is extremely expensive. Instead, we should prioritise coating our timber or wood with fire-retardant paints or sprays that will insulate the surface and reduce the spread of flames.
Steel
While steel is naturally more fire resistant than wood, fire can still ravage the structure of your building and make it unsafe. Intumescent paint is a type of protective coating that will massively improve the fire resistance of your steel. When under the threat of heat, this type of coating will quickly expand, creating a barrier between the flames and your steel. This protective coating is suitable for steel that is exposed to the public, as it will not damage the appearance of your steel.
Fireplaces
If you own a business such as a pub, bar or cafe, you may want to install a fireplace for those cold winter months. Unfortunately, heat resistant and fire retardant coatings are not guaranteed to be suitable for the surrounding walls of your fireplace. These types of protective coatings will discolour with consecutive exposure to heat, and will not always fit your desired aesthetic for the fireplace. Instead, we suggest using a flame-retardant topcoat. This is a versatile coating that will not be discoloured by the heat of your stove.
Shirley Industrial Painters & Decorators
We know how important it is to make sure we’re making our buildings fire resistant. That’s why we have a range of intumescent coatings available from certified suppliers. To learn more about our products and services, contact us on 03333 660 408 or request a call back. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
