For commercial facilities, fire is a special concern. Sure, every business has carefully placed smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers and extinguishers. Did you know there is another line of defense against fire? It’s your paint. Intumescent paint gives additional protection against fire. These coatings have the appearance of regular paint and when exposed to fire or high heat, they protect the material they are applied to.
HOW THEY WORK
This type of protective paint can be applied to almost any type of building material available. It is often used on substrate materials, such as structural steel components to help maintain integrity during a fire and until its extinguished. When steel reaches approximately 1022 degrees Fahrenheit, it begins to lose integrity and is at serious risk of permanent damage. Intumescent paints form a layer of char when exposed to high heat or flames. This layer is a very poor conductor of heat and can help prevent steel from reaching damaging temperatures for up to four hours. This gives firefighters time to get in and do their job, as well as giving tenants and occupants the opportunity to get out of the building.
WHEN TO USE INTUMESCENT COATINGS
Every state has their own guidelines, codes and laws when it comes to protective coatings – including Illinois. In some cases, the coating is required on structural components in ceilings or commercial garages. One local example is regulations concerning new day care facilities. When an intumescent coating is used on surfaces that don’t comply with code (wood paneling, for instance), it raises the fire rating of the material and makes it compliant.
While these coatings are used on steel most often, they can also be applied to drywall, wood, concrete, masonry, plastics and other substrates. Commercial facilities that have higher fire risks can definitely benefit from intumescent epoxy coatings, which will provide the desired fire protection, but also stand up to extreme weather and other environmental conditions.