A common misnomer often applied to intumescent coatings is that they are simply another type of paint and are sometimes overlooked by designers and contractors during the tender and build stage of a project – a misunderstanding that has on occasion proven to be costly.   

 

Intumescent coatings to steel are designed to limit heat gain upon structural steel members and are applied in the context of providing time based structural stability and safe routes of egress to occupants in multi-storey buildings in the event of a fire. A steel member that heats up sufficiently will become ductile and malleable, limiting the tensile strength and integrity of a steel member to the point of failure. When this failure is applied in the context of a multi-story residential block, the potential for catastrophe for residents and responders alike can be substantial. 

  

As a result, Intumescent coatings form an integral part of a buildings design.  For steel applications in particular, the inclusion of an intumescent coating could be argued to be a structural element in and of itself due to the role it plays in protecting steel during a fire. 

 

In relation to wooden surfaces, we apply specialist intumescent products that will achieve a spread of flame group rating of 1S on a variety of different wooden substrates.   

 

Due to the specialist nature and considerations required to apply intumescent, we aim to offer our clients not only the reputation and experience of highly trained applicators and specialist application equipment, but a fully comprehensive planning and quality assurance package to ensure our clients have a full understanding of the practicalities of their design considerations and project programming.      

 

Furthermore, we work openly with our preferred suppliers such as Akzo Nobel, Altex, and Zone Architectural to ensure that these products are applied to specification and invite independent third party inspectors to corroborate our systems are installed fit for purpose.