ToughButterCup Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 I have been ringing round for prices for our cladding (800 LM). Our BR submission specifies fire retardant ( Non-Com ). An Internet search for Non Com fire retardant takes you to a German site : redirecting to the English site (which has no search facility) you are taken to a product called DRICON. Ring them up, and NonCom is no longer produced. Digging around on the Internet on the issue of fire retardants I get the distinct impression that suppliers are being really careful. Timbmet, for example say they no longer send their produce to the companies they used for fire retardant coatings. The rep I talked to mentioned that the companies previously used by Timbmet were unable to supply certification. Hence my caution, and this post. As I understand it the fire retardant process wood involves either pressure treatment or simple coating. Can I buy an appropriate coating and apply it myself, or does that have to be done professionally? My BR submission specifies a coating: would it be better to get the wood pressure treated? Or conversley, can the BCO make me have the wood pressure treated? Does the Fire Retardance application process have to be evidenced or certified in any way? Russwood told me that fire treating their wood (Siberian Larch) effectively doubles the cost of the raw timber. Presumably that would be for pressure treatment - not coating as specified in my BR submission. The BCO is getting back to me: ... one converstion that I'll be sure to summarise and send to the inspectors' office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) You normally only need to fire treat cladding if you are building close to the boundary. The closer you are the more of the cladding you need to have fire resistant (requirement is expressed as a % of the facade). BCOs in my experience will accept self-applied surface treatment but they may ask you to provide proof that the fire retardant product that you are using is certified for the purpose. Most BCOs will want a copy of the certification. Edited August 12, 2019 by Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 I have known BC to object to any FR coating that requires periodic re-coating, which was why the non-com stuff was oft specified. A right pain and vast cost. As per @Ian this is only an issue if you are near a boundary (not necessarily another building) and if that is the case you may be better choosing a fibre cement based cladding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Did you get any further with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 15 minutes ago, Invader75 said: Did you get any further with this? BCO says he will visit ... today maybe. Update as and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 7 minutes ago, AnonymousBosch said: BCO says he will visit ... today maybe. Update as and when. Good luck. I'm told this is good stuff but only to carry out the work if required. https://envirograf.com/product/fire-retardant-coating-for-timber/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 BCO has been. We talked for a bit - and I agreed that, anyway, I'd pop a coat of fire protective coating on the North face: £60 or so. And I can DIY. My memory of conversations about the issue was - immediately post Grenfell Tower - that I'd have to have the cladding professionally done, and pressure treated with Non Com. Well, it's no longer made and I can DIY. Head down, arse up keep going Ian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 I suspect that Grenfell has raised the profile of external fire resistance just a bit. Our build is wholly timber clad and has no fire protective coating to any of the timber. At the time, our BCO was content because all the walls were more than 1m away from the boundary, and maybe 10 to 20m away from any other building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 Just now, JSHarris said: [...] At the time, our BCO was content because all the walls were more than 1m away from the boundary, and maybe 10 to 20m away from any other building. Ours are about the same. But our current house is the closest to the one we are building. Am I going to machine gun our feet off for the sake of £60 of intumescent paint, a BBA certificate, some photos of the process and a days work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 If the timber is left a natural colour, the bits you have coated will weather differently, so coat the whole elevation or it may look crap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 Just now, Mr Punter said: If the timber is left a natural colour, the bits you have coated will weather differently, so coat the whole elevation or it may look crap. Thanks. Its the North face of the house we are building. Nobody will ever look at it. ? Useful comment, though. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick1c Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I will need to do this as well & have come across this: https://www.fireproofspray.co.uk/flametect-cwd--clear-flame-retardant-for-wood-68-p.asp Does anyone have any experience of using it? I am particularly interested in its effects on the aging of WRC. They claim that it should need 1-2 coats and is invisible. I have emailed building control to ensure that it meets their requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambs Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 25 minutes ago, Nick1c said: I will need to do this as well & have come across this: https://www.fireproofspray.co.uk/flametect-cwd--clear-flame-retardant-for-wood-68-p.asp Does anyone have any experience of using it? I am particularly interested in its effects on the aging of WRC. They claim that it should need 1-2 coats and is invisible. I have emailed building control to ensure that it meets their requirements. I was required to fire protect my WRC cladding. Had the same problem trying to find a suitable product. I was doing the whole house - didn't need to do it all but there was so much of it close to boundaries that I thought I'd do the lot. I used this, applied in their mill by the timber supplier: http://fireretardantuk.com/shop/hr-prof-holz-prof-wood-fire-protector/ The cladding has been up now for a couple of months and here's what it looks like at the moment: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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