Fire-retardant wood has become increasingly popular for its ability to resist combustion and slow the spread of fire. In this blog, we’ll delve into what fire-retardant wood is, explore the best options, discover how it’s made, and discuss how to identify it.
What is Fire Retardant Wood?
Fire-retardant wood is specially treated to reduce its flammability and inhibit the spread of fire. This makes it an excellent choice for applications where fire safety is paramount.
What is the Best Fire Retardant Wood?
Various types of wood are used for fire-retardant treatments, including cedar, redwood, and Douglas fir. If you are located in Malaysia or South East Asia, contact us and we’ll discuss the pros and cons of these options to help you choose the best one for your needs.
How is Fire Retardant Wood Made?
Manufacturers begin by gathering untreated plywood or dried lumber. These wood products are loaded onto trolleys and then fed into a huge retort cylinder. The retort is then sealed, and the air is drawn out to form a vacuum. The enormous cylinder is then filled with chemicals that are fire resistant.
How Can You Tell if Wood is Fire Retardant?
Products intended for outdoor usage must include one more element referencing the particular requirement for plywood and fire retardant lumber exposed to weather. If one of these stamps is present, it means that the wood has been treated with fire retardants to offer durable fire protection.
Why is it Called Fire Retardant?
Different chemicals known as flame retardants are applied to objects to stop burning or delay the spread of fire. The word refers to how these compounds work, not to their precise composition. Because of their widespread use in the environment and worries about their potential health effects, flame retardants are being examined.
How long does fire retardant wood last?
A good fire retardant-treated wood can survive the entire life of the building, in contrast to spray-on coatings, dips, and intumescent coverings.
Where do you use fire retardant wood?
- Residential Buildings: Fire retardant wood can be used in residential settings for interior doors, staircases, wall paneling, and other critical components, especially in areas with stricter fire safety regulations.
- Commercial Buildings: In commercial spaces, fire retardant wood is employed for interior wall paneling, partitions, doors, and ceilings to enhance fire safety and compliance with building codes.
- Public Buildings: Government and public buildings, such as schools, libraries, and municipal offices, often incorporate fire retardant wood for interior components like doors, partitions, and decorative elements.
- Hotels: Fire retardant wood can be used in hotels for interior features to improve fire safety, particularly in corridors and common areas.
- Restaurants: Restaurants may use fire retardant wood for decorative elements, wall coverings, and doors to ensure the safety of patrons and staff.
- Hospitals: In healthcare facilities, fire retardant wood is utilized for doors and partitions to maintain a high level of safety and protect critical areas.
- Theaters and Auditoriums: Fire retardant wood can be used for stage set design, seating, and wall paneling in theaters and auditoriums to mitigate fire risks.
- Industrial Facilities: Some industrial settings, such as factories and warehouses, may use fire retardant wood for structural components and interior partitioning to reduce the risk of fire-related damage.
- Marine Applications: Fire retardant wood is employed in the construction and outfitting of boats and ships, as it can help improve safety and comply with marine fire safety standards.
- Exterior Decking: While less common, there are fire-retardant treatments available for exterior wood decking, which can be used in areas with specific fire safety requirements.
Which wood is fire retardant?
Multiple independent laboratories have evaluated RTREE FR HDMR Fire-Retardant High Density Moisture Resistant(FR HDMR) Wood Board for fire performance, and it passes model code tests for a Class A/Class 1 fire retardant. To guarantee quality, this wood board has been grade stamped and tested by a third party.