Monday, June 10, 2013

Why We Use Fire Retardant Coatings

By Grace Daniels


Whether designing a building or a product the fire safety must be considered and the type of fire retardant coatings decided upon. This deals with prevention of the outbreak of fire and of being consumed by a blaze. This is an important consideration in this day and age to help keep our families, employees, colleagues, friends and visitors safe.

Chemical reactions are the way in which retardants deal with potential combustion. Whether they cool an object, release chemicals into the air or produce an extra layer of protection to further insulate the item, each method is intended to delay or deny the consumption by a blaze.

A coating can be applied to surfaces and objects to prevent the spread of fire. Often everyday products such as clothing and soft furnishings are required to be flame retardant and are already treated when they are purchased. They will have attached to them a label which tells the consumer whether they are fire or flame retardant and give a safety standard number.

A flame retardant coating can prevent an item from becoming consumed by flames and due to this can often give individuals in the building a longer window for escape after the alarm has sounded. However as some retardants release chemicals into the air to prevent the fire spread this can also cause difficulty breathing and so people should still leave the building as quickly and safely as possible.

These substances or coatings are largely invisible to us in our day to day lives and yet are all around us, everything from our clothing to surfaces in buildings can be treated with a coating designed to protect us from the spread of a blaze by the manufacturers and architects. They are applied to the product before we ever come into contact with it.

Whether you are looking for an internal or external coating to protect an item or a surface, there are paints and varnishes for surfaces such as wood and steel and treatments for fabrics, plastics, cardboard and paper. Some products are safe for the environment and are non-toxic making them safe for indoor use.

Whether the method is to cool an item, create an additional coating or release chemicals into the atmosphere the intention is the same, to reduce the spread of a blaze or prevent it. To burn the fuel, such as the carpet, furniture or wallpaper, a fire needs both heat and oxygen. Denying it a supply of one of these three things can prevent its occurrence or once it has begun reduce the spread or put it out entirely.

Fire retardant coatings, whether for an individual item or a large surface area, are a wise choice. Preventing a blaze from spreading or occurring in the first place is an important precaution to take. No matter what the surface or product there is likely to be a suitable preventative method for it which could help to save lives and reduce the damage to property.




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