Fireproofing

Fireproofing

Fire causes thousands of death and billions of dollars in damage around the world every year.

This is why fireproofing is a smart move for any home owner, and it is a requirement for most multi-family or commercial buildings. Even buildings built entirely from metal and concrete need protection.

In 2009 the National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted a study to see if applications of fireproofing spray were effective. The study showed that this form of fire protection not only saved buildings, they offered a greater degree of safety for inhabitants and workers by allowing a 15-times longer escape time than a non-treated building.

There are many different methods of application for fireproofing that are used around the world today:

Fireproofing can be painted or spayed on your surfaces within your home or building. Fireproofing is used to coat steel to keep it below the temperature that causes weakness, but it is also used to coat electrical circuits to prevent overheating. The fireproof coating is also used to cover metal bridges and concrete tunnels and even to coat vaults. Professionally applied spray-on fireproofing is made from one or more common ingredients, including Monokote MK-6, Cafco 300 and Cafco Blaze Shield. These chemicals are combined with calcium hydroxide, mica, fibrous plasters and other combinations to speed up hardening. Modern sprays do not include asbestos and are safe for use in homes and commercial buildings, although the dust from construction should still be avoided without proper breathing masks for general reasons.

Types of Fireproofing

Also known as intumescent paint, this method provides fire resistance to structural steel members. One of the key benefits is that intumescent coatings will expand as much as 100 times the original thickness of the material, providing superior fire resistance by creating a buffer between the fire and the steel members. The coating will undergo a chemical reaction and expand when subjected to extreme temperatures—but before the temperatures become hot enough to affect the integrity of the steel.

 

Intumescent coatings are a great solution when aesthetics come into play with steel that is exposed to the general public. The product is applied just like paint, with every layer adding to the overall thickness of the product. This fireproofing material can be applied to structural wood as well.

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