There were a total of 6491 residential fires in New Zealand in 2013. That’s more than 120 fires every week ! Real estate owners and employers would look at these figures and contemplate ways to increase fire safety of their buildings. Along comes fire retardant paint. In short: fireproof paint or fire retardant paint is a type of coating that can be applied on surfaces to prevent fire accidents. As the name implies, the paint creates fire retardant structures by a process which involves the release of a flame dampening gas, preventing heat transfer to the underlying substrate.

Fire retardant paint slows down the fire spreading, and the slower a substrate burns the more time there is to evacuate

Fire retardant paints have a number of uses:
They can be used on steel structures to reduce the risk of a fire and they can be applied on walls of buildings.

In this article we look at the different applications of fire retardant paint and products for wood, concrete and steel. Furthermore, you can find information on fire safety standards and regulations in New Zealand.

Get your fire retardant paint job certified

Whether you do your fireproofing yourself or get a professional to apply fire retardant paint to your building it is important to get certification. Make sure you keep receipts and any proof of the application. Ask your applicator or coating supplier for a certificate. If they do not provide a certificate, you should at least keep a record of the used products.

Certification can be used to negotiate insurance policies or claim damage from insurance

New Zealand standards & regulations

With relation to the legislation in New Zealand, fire protection comes under C3 of the Building Code. This clause states the need to protect persons from injury or illness resulting from the spread of fire in a building.

 Failure to meet the code’s requirements puts the health and safety of occupants at risk and as a result, the Building Act enforces a warrant of fitness (BWoF) renewal policy. A BWoF is confirmation that the building’s life safety systems have been inspected and maintained as required in the building’s compliance schedule.

Fines for offences related to Building Act offences can reach up to NZ$200,000

Reinforce modern buildings and factories with intumescent paint for steel

Fire Retardant can be an intumescent as well. Intumescent is simply a substance that stops fire from spreading by a process called “charring.” It is usually applied on structural steel as an added protection to fire retardant systems. Steel rods can be made more robust and efficient if they are applied with intumescent paint.

Steel rods are very common in modern building and factories. Intumescent coating insulates the steel surface and in the event of fire, significantly reduces the rate at which the steel loses form and ultimately enhances the fire protection for everyone inside the building. Furthermore, it is not only buildings and industries that can be protected, but also other items made out of steel that we use every day.

This is again an example of meeting the safety standard criteria set by professional bodies.

Protect wood from burning with fire retardant paint

Wood is one of the most flammable building materials. Fire protection comes in the form of paint and varnish. Paint can be either clear or opaque. Fire retardant coatings for wood are very effective in terms of protecting wooden surfaces from fire.

Various neighborhoods these days have wooden fences that can easily catch fire. Furthermore, electrical appliances increase the risk of a fire. Given that most houses are made out of timber, fire retardant coating on the walls can provide you extra safety from such accidents.Applying fire retardant coatings on these fences can greatly reduce the risk.

To maximize protection, a combination of two different types of fire resistance is applied

• A layer or two of intumescent wood paint which provides insulation to the timber surface from heat and flames
• A coat of fire retardant wood paint which add extra protection to the intumescent coated surface by releasing flame damping gas

As a result, the wood will be protected and will last for a longer while. This means that applying these coatings can make a wooden surface more durable and robust.

Products and prices for wood fire retardant coatings in New Zealand

Retail of fire retardant paint in New Zealand is mainly on a bulk purchase basis and therefore most purchases are made between manufacturers and applicators. There are a handful of consumer products on the market. Below is a fire retardant price list for products available for application on wood; *Note that these prices are indications

The paints can be applied by

1. Spraying
2. Dipping
3. Mixing with latex paints
4. Brushing

Fire resistant paint for fireplaces

Fire resistant coating can be applied on fireplaces as well. This ensures that your house is protected from unprecedented fire accidents. Therefore, fireplace becomes safer and more appealing to look at.

This is because re-painting the fire place with fire retardant coatings can prevent the fire from burning the walls both inside and out. As a result your room looks more aesthetically appealing and gives a good sense of home décor.

Hence the coating can make the fire place last longer and if you use the fireplace to light up fires, then these coatings can be very beneficial in terms of reducing flammability.

Resene Paints: Fire retardant coating made in New Zealand

With production plants in Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt, New Zealand’s largest privately-owned and operated paint manufacturing company is the market leader in producing fire retardant paints in the country. Established in 1946, Resene is one of the first companies to hold an Environmental Choice New Zealand label.

Their flagship product in this segment is Resene Fireguard, a pigmented water solvent coating for passive fire protection. This paint is for indoor use and relatively easy to apply. It can be left without a top coat and used as a white ceiling finish to provide a 3 (NZBC) 3 (NCC) fire resistance. However, for walls, a top coat is recommended.

The paint is available only in white and is applicable by airless spray and rolling. For best results, apply by airless spray. Furthermore, Fireguard is also a fast drying coating. At 18°C it takes 1 hour before it is touch dry and only 2 hours re-coat time after application. You can buy a 4L container of Resene FireGuard for NZ$ 192.50, available only at respective Resene ColorShops all over New Zealand.

Fire retardant coatings specialists in New Zealand

Companies looking for supply of fire retardant coatings can find a list of New Zealand manufacturers in the different regions;

Find contractors for the best result in Auckland, Christchurch and across New Zealand

The best fire retardant paints are usually not suitable for amateur application.
To ensure your fire proofing job is certified and done as best as possible contact PFPA.co.nz  and we will be happy to help.

Information from http://www.coating.co.nz/fire-retardant-paint/