Today natural wood They are actively used not only in the production of furniture, but also in construction, as it has been for many centuries. Wood is an excellent building material, but it has serious drawback- susceptibility to fire. Fortunately, fire-resistant wood treatments are now available to protect wood structures.
Protecting wood from fire is the main requirement against fire safety to each building or structure, no matter during direct construction or during operation. The standards set out in local and regulatory documents must be observed, otherwise the facility will not be put into operation. This required condition for specialized construction organizations.
When building a private house, any owner must also provide coverage wooden structures from fire, this requirement is not in vain.
Fire impregnation of wood is carried out at the following intervals:
- before putting the facility into operation;
- every 5 years;
- as necessary, if during operation the properties of the impregnation do not provide protection.
The latter can be checked very simply: you need to remove a small section of chips and set it on fire and, accordingly, if a fire occurs, treatment with a fire retardant is necessary.
Fire protection wooden base is a measure to meet requirements fire safety, which must be carried out throughout the entire Russian Federation.
List of wood processing methods:
- Performance finishing works using special fireproof materials.
- Measures to increase the fire resistance limit.
- Fire-retardant impregnation for wood using paint and varnish coating.
- At the design stage, it is chosen which method to apply to a particular design. The inspection is carried out by a representative of the fire service.
Fire retardant treatment is required for the following elements:
- rafter structures (load-bearing and non-load-bearing);
- timber walls;
- coatings and floors;
- beams;
- shingles for plaster;
- wooden panels inside and outside;
- other wooden surfaces.
On video: fire retardant wood treatment.
Types of impregnations
The fire retardant composition for wood is selected based on the following parameters:
- Areas of use;
- appointments.
In total there are 3 types of impregnations against accidental fires or fires wood materials: acidic, alkaline, saline. In this case, specialized fire retardants, paints, varnishes or enamels are used for surface treatment of wood. After their application, a thin layer is formed. Aqueous salt solutions are used for deep processing of structural elements.
Although these methods are widely used in practical activities due to their effectiveness, but fireproofing treatments are very successful. It not only meets fire safety requirements, but also fully guarantees:
- provision high level protection;
- long-term processing efficiency;
- consistency in color choice;
- compatibility with almost all further coatings;
- safety for both nature and people or animals.
Acidic compounds
This is the best solution for impregnating wood against fire. In this case, the color of the material does not change, and its structure remains the same. Acidic agent provides additional strength structural element, while the wood “breathes” and fully retains its properties. A huge range of products is available in retail outlets.
Alkaline compounds
The effectiveness of using such impregnations is low due to the disruption of the wood structure, so they are not recommended for treating visible areas. Such compositions are commercially available and their price is low compared to acid solutions.
Saline solutions
These formulations are not as effective. After treatment, salt stains appear over time, which not only spoil appearance tree, it becomes necessary to carry out the processing again. As a rule, for external work the validity period of such coating is no more than 2 years, and for internal work - no more than 5 years.
It’s easy to prepare saline solutions yourself; the only drawback is that you can’t calculate the proportions.
Fire-retardant impregnation of wood on any basis contains substances that melt when ignited, forming a thin film, which in turn creates an obstacle to oxygen. Impregnation compositions based on alkalis, when in direct contact with fire, produce gases to prevent the persecution or spread of fire.
A preparation based on urea or furan-urea resins has gained great popularity, since it provides not only fire resistance, but also direct resistance to the perception of mechanical loads.
Among other things, the fire retardant drug is divided into:
- resistant to external manifestations - for outdoor work;
- unstable to atmospheric factors - for interior work.
Today there is a whole range of fire retardants on sale, which provide fire protection properties.
Application of fire retardant paint
The very principle of impregnating wood against fire using the painting method is somewhat different from the direct effect of impregnation. Coating with antiseptic and fire-fighting compounds creates a layer to prevent heating and further fire of the structure. Once the wood reaches its combustion temperature, water and inert gases begin to be released. In addition, modern fire-retardant paints for wood have 2 functions simultaneously:
- from rotting;
- from fire or elevated temperatures.
Fire retardant paint is applied to the surface using rollers, brushes or a spray gun. The very frequency of wood treatment with a fire retardant coating is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, and even reaches up to 10 years.
Operating principle of wood fire protection:
| Name of the main property of the paint | Efficiency | Properties when exposed to ignition | Note |
| Intumescent | 1st efficiency group | During the period of direct influence of open fire, the pores formed by the paint crack, and at the same time, water and gas are released, including the expansion of the non-flammable layer. | Depending on the selected material, the thickness of the intumescent layer increases and ranges from 10 to 40 times. |
| Anti-intumescent | Layer providing thermal protection, is present initially. The material contains liquid glass and fillers to create fire protection, as well as fire retardants. | Fire retardants for wood, belonging to this category, actively resist the effects of fire for 2 hours. | The fire safety class of wood increases by 1 level. |
Wood compositions that provide fire protection are easy to select in a store, according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Properties of fire retardant varnish
This paint material has all the properties to protect against fire, as well as its functional purpose– for decorative application. When choosing this product and using it, the structure of the wood is preserved.
Fire-resistant varnish impregnation is used not only for processing the wood from which the structure is built, but also for coating furniture, wooden floors, laminate and other surfaces.
The main properties of this varnish include the following:
- the composition for wood ensures the fire resistance of the structure for a period of 6 to 10 years;
- Can be applied to a previously painted surface, except for a pre-applied water-based coating;
- Work with fire-resistant varnishes must be carried out at a temperature of at least +5 degrees;
- wood treatment after application increases fire protection;
- Fire protection varnish can be matte or semi-matte.
This fire-bioprotective impregnation is fully compatible with non-expanding materials. In this case, there is no need to additionally apply a layer of antiseptic.
additional information
Wood processing is necessary, and there is also other important information about this:
- Fire retardant materials for wood, despite their relatively high price, quickly pay for themselves, especially since their consumption per 1 m2 is not so high. This characteristic is indicated by the manufacturer. In addition, it also contains an antiseptic.
- The drug intended for processing must have a certificate of conformity.
- Fire retardant treatment at enterprises is carried out by specialized organizations.
- The layer impregnated with a fire retardant composition will last a long time.
- The resulting fire will not affect all structures.
- The purchased drug should not be skimped on when applied, otherwise the desired effect will not be ensured.
Fire protection of wood. Experiment (1 video)
Although our country has not been called wooden Russia for a long time, it is enough to leave the city limits and it immediately becomes clear that this is not entirely true.
The vast majority of designs country houses, buildings on the territories of gardening partnerships, country villages, and further across Russia the development of regional centers, villages, hamlets, farmsteads, agricultural enterprises, farms; tourist, sports, hunting, fishing bases, shelters - all this is wood in the form of logs, regular and laminated timber, boards of various widths/thicknesses, timber, lathing, platbands; everything that man has learned to make over the centuries from round coniferous/deciduous forest.
Is it worth mentioning how well wood burns? Unfortunately, not only in a campfire or in a stove or fireplace. It only takes someone’s inattention, negligence, or even just stupidity, and under the gusts of strong winds in the warm, dry period of the year, entire villages, enterprises located near the forest, and not only burn out across the country.
Refuse from what is pleasant to look at, warm to the touch, and easy to handle. organic material humanity is unlikely to be able to in the foreseeable future. The problem of the flammability of wood of any type has been faced for a very long time, and over the centuries many ways have been invented to protect it from fire.
It is worth summarizing this experience once again to understand how, with what, how quickly and how often this is done so as not to be afraid of the wall igniting country house from the grass that caught fire nearby, the roof of a residential apartment building from the pranks with fire of teenagers who entered the attic.
Methods
The algorithm for constructing the list is simple - from the oldest, but proven, to the modern, sometimes innovative.
Wet plaster:
- It is used to cover wooden structures with a thick layer. After drying, pillars, columns, rafters and other load-bearing structures, including walls/partitions, ceilings are in a dense non-flammable shell of inorganic substances, which prevents not only ignition from a direct flame source, for example, from a torch/torch, but also long-term exposure high temperature from a burning hearth, stove.
- A reliable, proven method, but too archaic, labor-intensive, and the aesthetic appearance of dried, exfoliated “scabs” of plaster does not add to its admirers/supporters for use as decorative finishing interior However, in old buildings built in Russian Empire and at the dawn of Soviet power, it can still be found, most often in attic spaces, dry basements used/used as warehouses. There she's covered truss structures, partitions, ceilings, racks for storing goods.
- In the USSR, for quite a long time, interior partitions during mass construction, made of boards and upholstered, were treated in this way. wooden shingles. As they say, cheap and cheerful - but safe. A kind of hardened plasterboard from the past, which is impossible to break through, unlike today’s “paper”.
Fire retardant coatings, pastes, coatings, mastics:
- By by and large, these are more modern interpretations/variations of wet plaster. Just instead of traditional finishing material– lime, use non-flammable binders, as well as water, with various fillers – clay, vermiculite, various mineral salts/fertilizers, for example, silicates, superphosphate.
- Both the method of applying these materials, dense in consistency, to the surface of wood structures - with a trowel/trowel, rough brush, and the “wonderful” appearance of the finished fire retardant coating, which is unlikely to please people with artistic taste, are similar to the use of wet plaster. As a rule, the scope of application of this method of fire protection is production and warehouse buildings of industrial and agricultural enterprises, from barns to workshops, where there is an abundance of wooden structures, such as rafters and roof sheathing.
- In the Soviet Union, many manufacturing techniques and recipes for such viscous fires were developed. protective compounds. For example, intumescent coatings VPD, VPM-2, superphosphate, clay-salt coating with lime, OPK, OPV-1 based on vermiculite. For information, their use is justified and legal today.
So, at the time of writing the article, the Soviet version is in effect on the VPD.
Facing:
- This one is very effective. Performed natural stone, decorative bricks, ceramic tiles, fire-resistant sheet materials produced today. For example, GVL, GKL, having the appropriate PB certificate.
- The advantages include a significant increase in the fire resistance limit of the overall “pie” of wood + a layer of structural fire protection; excellent appearance, quite suitable for finishing premises of almost any design.
- The disadvantages are the large total weight, the inability to protect geometrically complex elements of load-bearing structures of buildings in this way, for example, rafter system; reduction in the volume of premises.
Varnishes, paints, enamels:
- One of the fairly new methods that appeared with the invention/creation modern materials, capable of thin layer create films/coatings effective protection from fire, high temperature, surface spread of smoldering/ignition; while maintaining the appearance/structure of the wood base, or having quite acceptable decorative properties for use in decoration public places, right up to historical architectural monuments - palace complexes, museums.
- In addition, they can have antiseptic properties and protect against moisture harmful to wood.
- But there were some downsides here too. The distribution of such materials is limited by the relatively high cost.
Impregnation, application of fire retardant compounds:
- The most common method today, used in mass construction, the production of various materials/products from wood of different types - from laminated veneer lumber to the construction residential buildings, outbuildings; sheet materials such as chipboard, MDF, children's furniture, interior decoration elements.
- Impregnating fire retardant composition for wood is an aqueous solution of salts, called fire retardants for their properties, with various modifying additives that improve adhesion and penetration into layers natural material; dyes to control the treated/untouched surface during work.
- There are two types of this method - surface and deep impregnation. The first is the most common, used in construction by applying a fire retardant solution with brushes, rollers, or spraying under pressure to already installed/mounted or prepared for this purpose wooden elements buildings.
- The second is more complex, requiring impregnation baths, autoclaves with a large working volume for loading prepared wood, long-term processing under the influence of cyclic temperature regime(heating-cooling), pressure; which leads to a significant increase in the cost of this method compared to surface application.
True, the fire retardant properties of this finished material they turn out much better. But more on that a little later.
Facilities
First of all, these are proven over decades of use in the USSR/RF, but are still successfully used, including simply under other names:
- The fire retardant composition for surface impregnation is “MS”, for deep impregnation – “MS 1:1”.
- For surface – “PP”, as well as “VIM-1”, “BANN 1”.
- The general composition of all is approximately the same - various salts, mostly of “dual purpose”, since their “main job” is mineral fertilizers+ various industrial surfactants used for better adhesion/penetration into wood, as well as dyes.
A little later, during perestroika and after it, a huge number of new trains appeared. Not only industrial companies that traditionally produced paint and varnish products, but also companies that set the goal of becoming leaders in the new market of fire retardant materials began to engage in scientific development and implementation with lively advertising.
Thus, names appeared that were familiar to almost everyone who was involved in fire protection work. At least in your home/dacha for treatment, for example, a bathhouse, which was fashionable at one time; and many protective equipment for this purpose, they successfully combined, at least at the level of advertising of finished products, not only the fight against fire, but also against mold, rot, aging/darkening, and insect pests of wood; improved, tinted, painted in colors that are pleasing to the tired eyes of the buyer/owner. Here are some of them:
- "KSD";
- "Attik";
- "Pirilax";
- "Old Elm";
- "OZK-45D";
- "Claude-01";
- “Pyrex”, “Ograx” and dozens of other brands of fire retardant compounds, including varnishes, paints, coatings, enamels, it’s impossible to list everything, because as soon as they were not named by manufacturers, they often had a recipe that was not much different from the good old “MS” and "PP".
An interesting detail: developed for a huge country with its distances, compositions under the brand “made in the USSR” were produced in dry form in bags, anticipating the advertising slogan “just add water” by decades, but new ones mainly appeared in the form of aqueous solutions in plastic container from 1 l. Why this was done - no explanation needed.
At one time, fire-retardant paint and varnish products even poured into the Russian market from abroad from the famous concerns of our sworn friends. But their happiness was short-lived, since the declared “fabulous” quality, in fact, was not much different from domestic goods, and the cost was too high for mass consumption, for example, in construction. Today their market share is completely negligible.
It should be noted that wood antiseptics and fire protection by themselves, as a rule, do not add. With the exception of recipes/mixtures of substances specially developed by chemical scientists, called fire-retardant compositions/coatings, which must be indicated both in the technical data for commercial products and in advertising materials about them.
Groups
Total according to regulatory documents– defining what fire-retardant materials for wood are, materials based on it, test methods; There are 3 groups of fire retardant efficiency (FE), but since the latter includes those products that cannot provide it, which is determined by the weight loss of the processed sample by more than 30%, only the first two are interesting:
- Group I is hard-to-burn wood that loses no more than 9% of its total mass during testing. Receive way deep impregnation or reusable surface treatment of the surface with high-quality compounds that have a certificate of compliance with the safety regulations for this group of OEs.
- Group II – low-flammable wood pulp or materials based on it, for example, plywood. Here the mass loss ranges from 9–30%.
It is easy to understand that it is better to use materials/compositions of group I OE, since this, among other things, significantly delays the time for re-processing. But it all depends on the situation, what conditions are laid down in the design and estimate documentation, and the budget for fire protection work.
A mandatory document that must remain in the hands of the customer (building owner, director of the organization) is wood fire protection certificate , signed by the management of the enterprise that carried out such work on the basis of a license from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, and a representative of the State Fire Department.
A sample act for fire protection of wood is available after the article by clicking the button DOWNLOAD .
Despite the variety of modern materials, wood remains popular among our compatriots. But there is one negative nuance: the wooden covering can be destroyed due to fire. For this reason, it is necessary to treat wooden structures with a fire retardant compound (also called a fire retardant).
The principle of operation of fire retardant materials is based on physical and chemical processes that occur with the components that make up fire retardants. The main components of fire-fighting compounds are:
- low-melting substances (salt solutions of boric, phosphoric or silicic acids);
- substances that emit gas (ammonia or sulfur dioxide).
When low-melting substances are heated, a film appears, due to which oxygen cannot reach the surface wooden covering. As a result of this process, the ignition temperature of wood increases. This improves the fire resistance of the material.
Due to the use of gas-emitting substances, the combustion process itself is suppressed. The non-flammable gas protects the wood from fire by removing oxygen from the surface.
Fire retardants are divided into:
- coatings;
- impregnation.
Fire retardant coatings have a significant drawback. They hide the grain of the wood. Which leads to deterioration in the appearance of the wood. For this reason, coatings are best used for treating hard-to-reach structural elements.
It is more advisable to use fireproof impregnations, which are:
- organosoluble;
- water-soluble.
Solvent-soluble products involve the use of solvents that are quite flammable. This is unacceptable for wood. Most best option- application of impregnations on water based, which are:
- easy to wash;
- difficult to wash out;
- unwashable.
Structures that are exposed to a humid environment to a minimal extent must be treated with impregnations. Therefore, easily washable compounds are most often used.
Material selection
Any fire extinguishing agent must have an appropriate certificate and a conclusion from the sanitary and epidemiological service. If permitting documentation is missing, then the fire retardant composition does not meet generally accepted standards and requirements.
The most well-known fire retardants for wood are:
- "Fire retardant PP";
- "BANN-1";
- "Old Elm"
The compositions are available in powder form and dissolve in water. When working with them, you should follow basic safety rules.
Wood treatment with impregnation
Depending on the degree of processing, impregnating materials are of two types:
- with superficial penetration;
- with deep penetration.
The surface fire retardant composition is low cost. The main component of the impregnation is substances that prevent the wood from burning. Due to the shallow penetration of impregnation, the protective characteristics of wood are not very high. The fire retardant can be applied using a regular brush or roller.
Treatment wooden surface deep colorless impregnation is carried out using an autoclave or a special container in which the timber is soaked. After drying, the wood is used for its intended purpose.
Another option for applying deep fireproof impregnation is vacuum technology under pressure up to 8 atm. and preheating to +60ºС.
Regardless of the method of applying impregnation maximum efficiency its use is achieved only if all instructions prescribed by the product manufacturer are followed.
When applying impregnation you should also consider:
- season;
- probability of influence of precipitation.
If the fire retardant is treated open areas or an unheated roof, then winter impregnation is purchased.
Application of fire-resistant paints and varnishes
The principle of operation of these fire retardant compounds is to create a layer that prevents heating and ignition of the wood.
Fire retardant paints are divided into:
- intumescent;
- non-intumescent.
Intumescent compositions are characterized by the fact that when the temperature rises, the coating cracks with the release of inert gas and water. This leads to expansion of the protective layer (10-30 times).
Non-intumescent paint consists of fire retardant fillers and liquid glass. Depending on the variety and manufacturer, the fire retardant can resist direct fire for 90-120 minutes.
In addition to its protective function, the paint prevents the wood covering from rotting. Fire retardant for wood is applied using a spray gun or roller. The minimum frequency of surface treatment is 10 years.
When creating a fireproof coating, you can also use fire-resistant varnish. Moreover, it is applied not only to load-bearing structures, but also to wooden floors, furniture, laminate and polyvinyl chloride coatings.
There are the following features of the use of the material:
- varnish can be applied to a painted surface (with the exception of water-dispersed compositions);
- the process is carried out at temperatures above +5ºС;
- several layers of varnish are applied at intervals of at least 12 hours;
- The frequency of varnishing wood is 6-7 years.
The only nuance that should be taken into account when purchasing paint and varnish products is their intended purpose. For exterior work, only façade materials that are characterized by increased wear resistance and fire protection are suitable.
Alternative options
In addition to impregnations and paints and varnishes, the fireproof properties of wood can be improved by using:
- materials used to create fire-resistant lathing;
- other constructive solutions.
Among the fire-retardant materials, gypsum fiber sheets should be noted. Due to the non-flammability of the material, the influence of heat on load-bearing structure. But there is a condition - all profile elements must be treated with a special solution. It is most advisable to use gypsum fiber only in cases where it is impossible to apply a fire retardant composition.
Application of rolled fire-fighting material (foil insulation) - best solution for fire protection of wood located in hard to reach places (attic floors, attic, other rarely visited rooms).
As constructive solution It is advisable to create a fire-resistant belt (or better yet, several), which will become an obstacle to the spread of fire. Places with the greatest likelihood of a fire are identified. After which fire-resistant belts are created near them. In some cases it is better to use plaster mixture with vermiculite or additionally build a reinforced brick frame.
Conclusion
You can check the quality of wood processing by:
- visual inspection of the structure;
- selective examination of the integrity and thickness of the layer of several sections.
Tests using fire are carried out using PNP-1 sensors. Based on the results of the research, acts are drawn up that authorize the operation of the facility.
You can check the quality of the fire retardant layer yourself. For this:
- a sample up to 1 mm thick is cut from the treated area with a knife;
- using a lighter, the sample is ignited on the side where the fire retardant is applied;
- the workpiece should not support combustion or smolder;
- after 20-30 seconds, the surface of the sample will blacken and char (without the appearance of a flame).
For comparison, you can take a piece of wood that has not been treated with a fire retardant. When you turn on the lighter, after 4-5 seconds the workpiece will begin to burn.
Naturally, the combustion process directly depends on the type of wood. For example, oak chips are difficult to set on fire even without impregnation. For this reason, all tests are carried out on the basis of pine wood, which is highly flammable.
Video about treating a wooden structure with a fire retardant compound:
All photos from the article
Wood has been a very common material for construction for many centuries, from which craftsmen make not only certain elements of buildings, but also entire structures. Wood includes not only processed beams, but also other materials that are made on its basis.
All buildings based on such materials can be considered wooden structures. As you know, wood has one huge drawback - very rapid ignition in a fire, so treating such building elements with a fire retardant compound is in the best possible way protecting buildings from fire. If all wooden structures were treated with fire retardants, the number of fires would decrease tenfold.
Encyclopedia of flame retardants
Since wood is one of the most popular building materials due to its low cost, there is a need to treat it with fire retardants. To avoid fire, it is necessary to coat and impregnate the wood with a fire retardant shortly before construction. To fully understand the principle of processing material with this product, you need to find out what a fire retardant is, how to choose a high-quality fire retardant for wood, and much more.
What is a fire retardant?
Chemical compounds that prevent the fire of wood materials are called fire retardants. This name was obtained by combining the Greek words “anti” and “feast”, which are translated as “against” and “fire”. As a result, a wooden structure treated with this composition is able to resist the effects of fire for a much longer time.
Fire retardants begin to melt much earlier than the wood catches fire, since such compositions have a low melting point. That is why fire retardant impregnation forms a barrier for oxygen between the ignition source and the wood, which supports combustion.
Often, fire retardant compounds for wood contain components of chemical origin, which are fusible and are derivatives of phosphorus, silicon and boric acid. In addition to the fact that such products create a protective film, when exposed to fire, they begin to emit gases that prevent combustion. Thus, when the treated layer of wood is heated, volatile substances are formed that displace oxygen from the area of contact between wood and fire.
Classification of fire retardants
The action of fire retardants lies in the chemical and physical processes of the components that are part of the fire retardants.
The main components of such protective compounds are:
- substances that emit gas (sulfur dioxide or ammonia);
- substances that are classified as fusible (salt solutions of silicic, phosphoric or boric acids)
During heating of fusible substances, formation occurs protective film, which does not allow oxygen to penetrate to the surface of the tree. Thanks to this process, the ignition temperature of the wood coating increases and the fire resistance of the material improves.
When using substances that emit gas, the combustion process itself is inhibited. This gas removes oxygen from the treated surface and thereby protects the wooden structure from fire.
Fire retardants can be divided into:
- impregnation;
- coatings
Fire retardant compounds for wood in the form of a coating have one significant drawback: they greatly hide the texture of the wood and thereby significantly worsen its appearance. For this reason, many recommend using coatings only for treating structures in hard-to-reach places.
Impregnations are:
- organosoluble;
- water-soluble
Note! Organosoluble compounds are used with highly flammable solvents. Since this is unacceptable for wood materials, it is best to use water-based impregnations.
There are 3 types of water-soluble impregnations:
- easy to wash;
- difficult to wash;
- non-washable
To check the quality of the purchased composition, you can apply it to a small piece of wood and, after complete drying, do the following:
- use a lighter to set fire to a sample of wood treated with a fire retardant;
- a piece of wood should not smolder or burn;
- after 0.5 minutes, the surface of the workpiece should char and blacken, but not ignite.
If the fire does not appear, it means that the fire retardant you purchased meets quality standards and can be used for processing wooden structures and objects. The video presented in this article will tell you more about fire protection for wood.
Despite the variety of modern materials, wood remains popular among our compatriots. But there is one negative nuance: the wooden covering can be destroyed due to fire. For this reason, it is necessary to treat wooden structures with a fire retardant compound (also called a fire retardant).
The principle of operation of fire retardant materials is based on physical and chemical processes that occur with the components that make up fire retardants. The main components of fire-fighting compounds are:
- low-melting substances (salt solutions of boric, phosphoric or silicic acids);
- substances that emit gas (ammonia or sulfur dioxide).
When fusible substances are heated, a film appears, due to which oxygen cannot reach the surface of the wooden covering. As a result of this process, the ignition temperature of wood increases. This improves the fire resistance of the material.
Due to the use of gas-emitting substances, the combustion process itself is suppressed. The non-flammable gas protects the wood from fire by removing oxygen from the surface.
Fire retardants are divided into:
- coatings;
- impregnation.
There are the following features of the use of the material:
- varnish can be applied to a painted surface (with the exception of water-dispersed compositions);
- the process is carried out at temperatures above +5ºС;
- several layers of varnish are applied at intervals of at least 12 hours;
- The frequency of varnishing wood is 6-7 years.
The only nuance that should be taken into account when purchasing paint and varnish products is their intended purpose. For exterior work, only façade materials that are characterized by increased wear resistance and fire protection are suitable.
Alternative options
In addition to impregnations and paints and varnishes, the fireproof properties of wood can be improved by using:
- materials used to create fire-resistant lathing;
- other constructive solutions.
Among the fire-retardant materials, gypsum fiber sheets should be noted. Due to the non-flammability of the material, the influence of heat on the supporting structure is limited. But there is a condition - all profile elements must be treated with a special solution. It is most advisable to use gypsum fiber only in cases where it is impossible to apply a fire retardant composition.
The use of rolled fire-prevention material (foil insulation) is the best solution for fire protection of wood located in hard-to-reach places (attics, attics, other rarely visited rooms).
A constructive solution is the creation of a fire-resistant belt (or better yet, several), which will become an obstacle to the spread of fire. Places with the greatest likelihood of a fire are identified. After which fire-resistant belts are created near them. In some cases, it is better to use a plaster mixture with vermiculite or additionally build a reinforced brick frame.
Conclusion
You can check the quality of wood processing by:
- visual inspection of the structure;
- selective examination of the integrity and thickness of the layer of several sections.
Tests using fire are carried out using PNP-1 sensors. Based on the results of the research, acts are drawn up that authorize the operation of the facility.
You can check the quality of the fire retardant layer yourself. For this:
- a sample up to 1 mm thick is cut from the treated area with a knife;
- using a lighter, the sample is ignited on the side where the fire retardant is applied;
- the workpiece should not support combustion or smolder;
- after 20-30 seconds, the surface of the sample will blacken and char (without the appearance of a flame).
For comparison, you can take a piece of wood that has not been treated with a fire retardant. When you turn on the lighter, after 4-5 seconds the workpiece will begin to burn.
Naturally, the combustion process directly depends on the type of wood. For example, oak chips are difficult to set on fire even without impregnation. For this reason, all tests are carried out on the basis of pine wood, which is highly flammable.
Video about treating a wooden structure with a fire retardant compound:
