Wouldn’t it be nice to add another layer of fire protection for your family just by using a special fire-resistant or fire-retardant paint? You can paint your bedroom door to make it more fire-resistant and add valuable minutes to escape flames.
Are There Interior Fire Resistant Paints for My House?
Yes, there are a few companies that make residential fire-resistant paints, primers, and additives. These fire-resistant paints significantly slow-down a fire and add valuable minutes to your families’ escape time. When exposed to flames, fire-resistant paints reflect away thermal energy and create a charred layer preventing the wood from setting ablaze.
Usually, you have to rely on your builder or furniture manufacturer to add fire retardant chemicals to their products. Most builders go cheap or do the bare minimum to comply with building code. Fire-resistant paints give you control and put your family’s protection in your hands.
How Do Fire-Resistant Paints Work?
Most homes –and home builders- today are using lighter and lighter building materials. These materials save weight and reduce cost, but less dense material means more flammability. This is the perfect fuel for any home fire. With plenty of fuel, a home fire can spread faster, burn hotter, cause massive damage in a very short period. This means that you and your family have only a few minutes to escape.
When you use fire-resistant paint, it puts a physical barrier between the fire and the fuel, and prevents the fire from spreading. When exposed to flames, fire-resistant paints reflect away thermal energy and create a charred layer preventing the wood and other building materials from setting ablaze. Adding a layer of fire-resistant paint or primer to your bedroom door and your child’s bedroom door and walls may be the difference between escape and disaster.
Most fire-resistant paints and primers can be used on any surface from metal to dry-wall. However, you will find that paint colors are very limited (some companies only produce white). But do not worry; you can paint over the fire-resistant paint layer with your normal paint favorite color, and you will still have the fire-protection.
If you live in an area that is prone to wild-fires, fire-resistant paint is a must. Keep in mind that fire-resistant paints do not prevent fires altogether, but they do slow the spread of flames significantly. They add many valuable minutes for you to put out the fire or escape.
Less Flames, Less Smoke:
It is important to know that one the leading causes of death in a fire is suffocating from inhaling the smoke produced by the fire. Using a fire-resistant paint significantly reduces the amount of flames and smoke produced by a fire.
Fire-Retardant Paint Additives:
Another option is to use a fire-retardant paint additive. This is a separate liquid chemical you can add to any normal paint to make it more fire-resistant. These additives add a significant amount of fire resistance to any paint, but they do not work as well as dedicated fire-resistant paint. The real advantage of fire-retardant paint additive is the cost savings. It costs significantly less than fire-resistant paint. This could make a huge difference to your budget if you are painting an entire house.
Where should I use fire-resistant paint:
Well, the best answer is everywhere you paint. But if the cost is an issue, then let’s target the areas that are most prone to fires at your home. Here is a list of high-risk areas in the average home:
#1: Kitchen:
Wherever you cook, there is a risk of fire. No wonder that house fires happen most during dinner hours. People leave a stovetop unattended, and a fire starts. Kids forget a toaster oven on. Or a paper towel catches fire if put too close to a hot object. If you are cooking something, stay in the kitchen!
#2: Bedrooms:
Why? Because of space heaters! If you leave space heaters too close to a blanket or drapes, a fierce fire may take hold in less than one minute. Be careful when using space heaters in any room. Keep a space heater three feet away from walls, furniture, and any flammable object.
# 3: Attics and Basements:
Any place that has exposed old wires may cause a spark and catch on fire. Moreover, attics and basements are full of old furniture and fabrics. Clean out your storage spaces, and throw away any fire hazard.
#4 Wherever smokers smoke:
Do not smoke in your home. Do not allow others to smoke in your home. Period. It is a risk to your health and a fire hazard.
#5: Laundry room:
Keep your appliances (especially your dryer) properly maintained. Do not use an extension cord for any appliance as most are rated to handle appliance level electrical current. If you have an appliance that you rarely use, unplug it.
#6 Garage:
Do you store fuel in your garage? It is an ideal space for heat, sparks, and fuel to get together and starts a fire that engulfs your home. Clean out your garage and store any fuel properly.
Fire-resistant paint works great and would offer great protection in any (or preferably all) these areas.
Protect your Life and Property:
By slowing the spread of fire, and reducing the overall heat and smoke produced by fire, walls painted with fire-resistant paint help protect your property. For example, in the USA, the average time for the arrival of emergency personnel to a scene is seven minutes. ‘The average’ means that half areas take longer than 7 minutes. Add to that the time it takes you to realize that a fire has started. A house may be completely engulfed in flames, and all property lost, during that time.
Here is a scientific experiment:
In a controlled experiment, a wood wall half bare and half painted with fire-resistant paint was exposed to severe fire conditions. The bare wall was completely burned through in less than eight minutes, while the painted half of the same wall, protected with two coats of fire retardant paint resisted the spread of fire for more than 30 minutes, giving the fire department an extra 20 minutes to get on the job. This extra time often means the difference between light, easily adjusted fire damage on one hand, and total fire loss on the other.
UL Laboratory tested:
For more peace of mind, look for the Underwriters’ Laboratories seal to assure uniform production and reliable performance year after year. You can now buy UL listed fire-retardant paints just like you buy fire extinguishers and many other fire protection and safety materials.
Will using fire-resistant paint lower my home insurance bill?
Unfortunately, in most cases: No, it does not. Unlike a fire sprinkler system, insurance companies do not give any discount for fire-resistant paint. However, policies do differ, so make sure you call your home insurer and ask or talk with insurance agent. UL listed fire-retardant paints may help you reduce the rate of your fire insurance.
Where can I find fire-resistant paints?
You can buy fire-resistant paint or fire-retardant paint additives online, or at your local hardware store. Most of these paints will be in the commercial -not residential- section, so you may need to ask around. Here is a link to make your life easier.
Are fire-resistant paints harmful?
The answer is simply: No. Manufactures today use non-carcinogenic, non-toxic materials in the paint. So using these paints and additives is safe for you and your children. For more information, make sure to check the Manufactures’ product label.
