Fire retardant treatment of wooden attic constructions: features

The attic is one of the most fire-dangerous places in any building. After all, it is here that the most complex assemblies of wiring from the whole house are concentrated. Occurrence of the slightest closure represents an extreme danger to the object. That is why the timely fire retardant treatment of wooden attic constructions is so important. Let's figure out what are the features of doing such events.

What is the purpose of applying fire retardant coating on wooden structures?

Thanks to the fire protection of attics, the following tasks are solved:

• Accidental fires are prevented;
• Potentially dangerous factors are weakened, the effect of which can lead to a fire;
• Slowing down the development of ignition in the initial stages;
• An open flame is localized.

Primary requirements

Is fire retardant treatment of the wooden constructions of the attic premises of buildings mandatory? This is what the state building codes say about this.

According to the provisions of SNiP, fire retardant treatment of wooden attic premises should be carried out in places between the roof and the floors. The application of fire fighting compounds is mandatory for rafters and crates.

Even from several small excerpts, it can be judged that fire retardant treatment of attic spaces is an obligatory precautionary measure when putting the facility into operation.

Additional requirements

Among the optional measures to protect attics from fires, it is worth noting:

1. Installation of fire escape hatches - act as a means of emergency access to the attic and allow to keep the spread of open fire to 30 minutes.
2. The creation of special cuttings is an effective solution that allows to stop the rapid ignition of floors by dividing the area of the attic into separate sections covered with non-combustible materials.
3. Observance of the rules of operation of the premises - it is forbidden to accumulate debris, clutter up space near bearing structures.

Classification of fire protection means

The specialized means that are used in the course of fire-fighting measures, first of all, are divided into categories of solid and liquid. The first, in turn, are divided into superficial and deeply penetrating. Solid compositions with the help of which fire retardant treatment of wooden constructions of attic rooms is possible include all kinds of dusting and coating.

According to the nature of the action, all fire-retardant means are divided into passive (prevent high-temperature exposure to deep layers of materials) and active (directly affect the combustion process).

How is the fireproofing of the wooden constructions of the attic premises made?

Activities aimed at protecting roof slabs from fires are realized by employees of specialized services on the basis of a relevant license. During the works:

1. The calculation of the area of the premises is carried out, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of fire, based on existing conditions.
2. There is an audit of the structure for compliance with the priority requirements that are required for fire-fighting attics.
3. The necessary fire protection measures are determined.
4. It is applied the application of liquid formulations or solid materials to the floors, taking into account the required class of fire-fighting treatment.
5. Examination of the quality of work is carried out, a relevant act is drawn up.
6. Confirming papers are presented to the owner of the object.

Means of fire protection

What are the materials for the fire protection of attics? Currently, several options for fire protection apply.

First of all it is necessary to allocate paint and varnish. This includes all kinds of non-combustible mastics, paints, varnishes, impregnations. The coefficient of refractoriness of such products is indicated on the packaging.

Processing fire retardant composition of wooden structures of the attic can have a negative impact on human health. Therefore, the mandatory requirement for the application of liquid paints is the use of personal protective equipment.

For fire protection of load-bearing structures, most often they resort to the creation of special fire-resistant barriers in the form of plasterboard or gypsum fiber boards. The internal space between the materials is filled with non-combustible mineral fillers.

As an alternative, more reliable, but at the same time costly solutions, for example roll materials and liquid formulations based on vermiculite, can be used to protect attic floors.

According to the rules of fire safety, these measures with the use of fire-resistant facilities can be performed independently by the owners of the facility. However, in practice, such actions are extremely negatively considered by representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In order to avoid trouble, works aimed at fire protection of attic spaces are recommended to be carried out at least under the supervision of a fire inspector.