Rawlins Paints Blog Industrial Paint Tips, Guidelines & DIY Articles
In order to keep your building up to regulation standard, you may need to consider fire resistant paints and coatings. This may be something you’ve been asked to do by an authority or you may have chosen to do it simply as an additional precaution. Something you may see when considering these types of systems is the timing 30 minutes and 60 minutes. 30 and 60min protection far exceeds the usual British Standard Class 1 and Class 0 Surface Spread of Flame protection, but what do these timings mean and how can they help your property? Click here to skip recommended products and to continue reading.
Best Selling Fire Protection Coatings for Wood
What is fire resistance time?
Any fire-resistant paints, varnishes or other coatings you purchase are specifically developed to meet a particular level of fire protection. Sometimes one product can meet multiple different levels of protection dependant on the substrate and how they are applied. These can include 30 and 60 minute fire resistance.
This means if a fire breaks out, a surface that has been treated correctly such as an interior wall, will be protected from the effects of a fire by a protective layer that is guaranteed to last for 30 minutes or 60 minutes, dependent upon which level is chosen.
30 – 60 minutes can give employees, residents, visitors or other persons enough time to safely escape a fire. These levels of protection are usually used on structural elements of a building to help maintain its integrity during a fire, also giving emergency services more time to control the outbreak of fire. Additionally, it can delay the spread of fire to other adjoining rooms and buildings, keeping the damage to a minimum.
In order for coatings to comply they must have been tested to certain BS 476 standards by an independent test facility.
How do I achieve it?
The great thing about fire resistant paints is that they often provide the easiest and least disruptive way of providing fire protection to a wide range of surfaces, not just wood. In the case of timber, an extremely flammable material, adding resistance time is crucial.
If you are going to paint the surface, use a fire retardant paint which will guard your timber and meets regulation standards. If you follow the supplier’s instructions carefully, you’ll be able to meet a 30 or 60 minute resistance time. Once you’ve painted the retardant onto the surface, you can move onto decorative finishes.
If you’d prefer to varnish the surface, you more than likely need to use a basecoat first which provides the necessary protection. A clear base coat with fire resistant properties is the first step. This, combined with a varnish overcoat will help you to achieve the appropriate resistance time.
Remember, it’s entirely possible to achieve a fire resistant finish on wood. To ensure sure you achieve the correct timings when you come to paint, contact the technical team at Rawlins Paints for advice.
Related Post: Find out how to paint a wooden fence and which products are best to use in all weathers.
hi, building control have asked for a 30 min fire resistance to a timber frame garage on external and internal walls. External walls are larch feather edge , internal walls are OSB sheet.
approx 65sq m
any suggestions
many thanks
Hi Peter,
Thank you very much for your question. Unfortunately we are unable to offer 30 minutes fire protection for OSB so we wouldn’t be able to offer a suitable system for this application.
Apologies we aren’t able to help out this time and thank you again for your interest.
Many thanks
Stuart
We need to add 30 min protection to a timber shed wall next to a heating oil storage tank also to a timber fence panel. Is there a product that can achieve this please?
Hi David,
Thank you very much for your question. Providing the timber meets the minimum criteria set out in the product information, we would recommend Thermoguard Timbercoat 30min System for this application.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi,
we are a 4 storey high apartment development ,approx 12.5m high , constructed from double skin blockwork. Half the building has been rendered and the other half clad with untreated cedar. The building is 15 years old but the cedar cladding is in very good condition. Can the cedar be painted with fire retardant paint to give us 30 or 60 minute fire protection and if so which of your products do you recommend? Area of cladding is approx 7/800 sq.m.Thanks
Hi George,
Thank you very much for reading our blog and for your question. In order to advise in detail regarding your enquiry, our Technical Team will require some further information – please could you email [email protected] with your initial enquiry and we will be happy to help.
Our Technical Team will respond with some questions regarding the project so they are able to advise.
Many thanks for getting in touch and we hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards
Stuart
We are building 3 converted silos as holiday accommodation and are looking to clad the inside with cedar, we are required to ensure class O is met. Can you recommend a product for this appkucation
Hi Michael,
Thank you very much for your question. Assuming a clear finish is required, we would recommend Zeroflame Fire Retardant Treatment for this application. A protective topcoat is not required but should a topcoat be desired then this can be applied providing it is a water based non-flammable topcoat and once the treatment is fully dry after approximately 7 days.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
I have a new storage area with timber frame and doors attached. I have been asked to have it 30 minutes fire start.
Can you help.
Hi Paula,
Many thanks for taking the time to read our blog and for your question. For this application the best way for us to advise is if you could please contact our Technical Team on on 0113 2455450 (option 2) or send a message to [email protected] where we will be happy to advise.
Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hello, we are opening a new coffee shop in a shop unit based in the UK and it has Edwardian wooden tongue and groove ceiling. Would we be able to get 60 minute protection with one of your products?
We would also need to do some filling as there are a couple of holes.
Thanks
St
Hi Stuart,
Thanks so much for your question. To be able to assist with this our Technical Team will require some further information. Please could you send an email to [email protected] or call 0113 2455450 (option 2) and our Team will be happy to assist.
Thank you very much for getting in touch and we look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi. We have a three storey new build apartment building and have proposed a timber stair. Building regulations are asking for a 30 minute fire resistance to the staircases. Is this something that could be done with a paint or treatment finish such as yours?
Hi Simon,
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our blog and for getting in touch. Thermoguard Timbercoat 30 Minute System may be suitable for this. However so our Technical Team can advise accurately and in detail please could you answer the below questions regarding your project via email to [email protected]:
GENERAL TIMBER SURFACES
– Size of surface area to paint
– Timber thickness
– Level of Fire Protection required (Class 1, Class 0, 30min, 60min, etc.)
– Type of timber (i.e. pine, mdf, plywood, etc.)
– Type of Timber surface (i.e. T&G, feather edge / shiplap cladding, solid panels / sheets, etc.)
– Internal or external
– Use (i.e. floor, wall cladding, ceiling, etc.)
– Clear or coloured coating required?
– Bare or previously coated?
Once we have this info our Technical Team will be happy to advise.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi just doing a little fire vulnerable research. Am wondering what protective product would be recommended for a kitchen in a wooden house 1930s era. cheers
Hi David,
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our blog and for your question. For our Technical Team to be able to advise accurately and in detail please could you download and complete the ‘Thermoguard Wood Enquiry Form‘ and return by email to [email protected]. This will give our team all of the details required, and they will be happy to help out with your enquiry.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hello,
I’ve build an internal window from timber in a bedroom in my flat (4th Floor). I’m aiming for a 60 minute fire protection using paint.
What product would you recommend? the finish will be a dark grey.
Thanks
Matt
Hi Matt,
Thank you very much for your question and for taking the time to read our blog. For our Technical Team to be able to advise accurately and in detail please could you download and complete the ‘Thermoguard Wood Enquiry Form‘ and return by email to [email protected]. This will give our team all of the details required for your project, and they will be happy to help out with your enquiry.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart