Fire Rated Coatings for Timber and Plaster Surfaces

Recently there has been a move to provide a fire rating to all combustible surfaces in commercial spaces whether that space is a restaurant, lobby entrance or an auditorium. The fire rating is different than that used in other areas of construction. The products we use work in a similar way to normal intumescents but are more concerned with combustible products not developing smoke. The intumescent material swells up to prevent the underlying substrate from reaching a temperature at which it will produce large amounts of smoke. The best result is a product that achieves a Group 1s. There are now a number of products that can achieve these results on a wide variety of surfaces. Clear coatings that are suitable for timbers such as cedar, rimu and plywoods.