Fireproof Paint for Timber: Following the process

A lot of our customers approach us asking for a simple, one step process for upgrading the fire rating of their timber. Sometimes this is possible, although often times there are multiple steps to be followed.

We can provide you with the products you need to get the job done, as efficiently as possible. In this article, I will set out the range of steps you may be required to carry out. Our technical team is on hand to provide you with expert advice if needed. Please call us on 01752 690997 for our free advice.

Step #1 – Surface Preparation

It is always good practice to rough up the area you are treating with sanding paper. This is to increase the chances of successful bonding.

When there are existing coatings on the timber, Envirograf require you to also use their primer on your timber to prepare it for their intumescent paints. We suggest using this on bare timber in external environments too.

When you’re dealing with surfaces coated in any sort of substance, we recommend conducting a cross hatch adhesion test. We offer this as a free service. Please get in touch with us for further details.

In cases where bonding issues are apparent, we recommend using the Enviromose water-based paint stripper to remove the product.

Step #2 – Fire Treatment

There are a whole range of timber intumescent paints we can offer. We advise all customers to contact us to receive technical advice on them. For this to be most effective, we suggest finding out the following information beforehand:

• The fire rating you are required to achieve
• The thickness of your timber at its thinnest point
• Details on what your timber has been treated with (if applicable)
• The number of square metres required to be treated

Step #3 – Topcoats

To protect the intumescent products and/or to provide a colour finish, oftentimes a topcoat is required.

All clear intumescent varnishes we sell on our website require overcoating with their corresponding topcoat. For example, Pyroplast Wood T intumescent needs the Pyroplast Top T Neu topcoat, otherwise the moisture in the atmosphere will turn the intumescent cloudy in colour over time.

Envirograf’s white topcoats, such as Ultra White and Excel White can be tinted to most RAL and BS colour codes. These purchases must be made over the phone, so please call us on 01752 690997 to be quoted.

Summary

You can now see that the process may take several steps, depending on your scenario. As always, we advise you call us on 01752 690997 to discuss your project before making any purchases. Lines are open from 8:30am to 5pm, from Monday to Friday excluding UK bank holidays.