Fire Resistant Paint

What is fire retardant paint?

Fire retardant paint is designed to stop spreading the flame and fire over a given surface by releasing a flame dampening gas once the paint becomes hot. It is suitable for both interior and exterior steel and it should be fully fire tested against British safety standards BS 476.

It is essential to use the fire retardant paint in certain areas like hotels, schools, or other public buildings to ensure that all relevant laws and legislation are adhered to.

How long does fire retardant paint last?

The lifespan of the fire retardant paint is different for every brand and its type. For example, the Bollom Fireshield Ultra Universal shelf life is 12-15 months, whereas the Bollom Brosteel Ultra 60 is 9 months. In general, our Bollom fire resistant paints last roughly from 1 to 2 years.

How does fire resistant paint work?

Fire retardant paint increases the resistance of the painted substrate to deformation and delays fire exposure. The coating of the preparation covering e.g. steel constructions at a temperature of 200-250 degrees Celsius turns into a compact foam, which reduces the heat flow in a given material, and thus delays the temperature rise and loss of its carrying properties. The intumescent coating is therefore an insulating layer providing fire resistance to steel beams and columns.

How to apply fire retardant paint?

Here are our recommended steps for applying fire retardant paint:

Surface Preparation; Steelwork to be coated with fire retardant paint must be primed with an anti-corrosion primer suited to the intended environment of the building and applied to the Manufacturer’s Specification (with the exceptions that the Dry Film Thickness does not exceed 100 microns and that Thermoplastic, Bitumen or Chlorinated Rubber coatings are not used). If the steel has been galvanised or coated with a zinc-rich primer, a suitable tie-coat should be applied.

Application Methods; Fire retardant paint can be applied by brush, roller or spray.

Application Conditions; Fire retardant paint should only be applied to dry, protected structural steel, where the surface and ambient temperature is 5°C or above, and must be maintained during the application and drying periods. The relative humidity should be below 80% throughout the application and drying periods.

General Safety; We would advise that the normal handling and ventilation precautions for solvent/ waterborne paints should be observed during the application of fire retardant paints.