UBC Undergraduate Research

Fire retardant coatings : an evaluation of fire retardant coatings as a means of protecting wood panels Goldsmith, Fraser Perry

Abstract

The protection of residential buildings from the effects of fire is becoming increasingly important. For example, Alberta has altered its fire codes to make fire protection of wood sheathing,including plywood and OSB, compulsory in the design of residential buildings in close proximity to each other. Two of the approved methods of protection are through the use of fire retardant coatings or sheathing the OSB or plywood with exterior gypsum panels. There are divided opinions on which method of fire protection is superior in terms of performance, convenience, and cost effectiveness. In this essay I conclude that fire retardant coatings, when properly applied, perform well and are a convenient method for protecting wood sheathing from fire. However, their poor resistance to weathering and increased cost make them a less cost effective solution than durable gypsum sheathing systems. Coating systems may be effective when used to compliment a gypsum sheathing system to protect areas of buildings that are difficult to sheath.

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International