Any buildings with modern construction should feature fire safety measures such as fire-retardant paints. These paints, also known as intumescent paints, offer a type of passive fire protection that is crucial for containing a fire’s spread in an emergency. However, these materials have strict application requirements that not just any painter can meet. Keep reading to learn six reasons why you should always hire an expert to apply fire-retardant paint for any construction project.
Most Effective Coverage and Application
The application stage is key if you want to get the most out of your intumescent paint investment. If you do not hire an expert to paint, you could experience patchy paint jobs, paints that do not match their building materials, and other application errors. Without a thorough application, your building’s intumescent paints may not be able to properly contain the fire, and it could cause structural damage.
Additionally, expert fire painters will have all the latest equipment and materials to provide a thorough yet efficient paint job. Painting is a job that many people underestimate, especially when it comes to painting technical and commercial spaces. Rather than carve out several days or even weeks from your construction or work schedule, effectively delegate this work by utilizing a painting professional.
Because we must apply fire coatings to the structural materials of the building, this process usually occurs near the start of construction projects. A long painting process can lead to construction delays, wasting time and money. Keep things moving by hiring a professional painter and ensuring a quick application time.
Application Control and Safety
Fire experts have professional-level application equipment and the proper safety equipment at their disposal. The average construction crew or DIY handyman will not have the professional, painter-grade safety gear that experts use. For example, fire-resistant paint droplets and particles are hazardous to the face and lungs due to their chemical makeup.
Professional painters use high-quality respirators, masks, face shields, goggles, and more to protect themselves during applications. Painters should have full-body protection from the chemicals and potentially harmful materials in these paints until it has had time to set. Proceeding without this equipment is very dangerous and can put yourself and any other inexperienced parties at risk. Experts also know how to use said equipment and apply paints in the safest way possible.
Technical Experience With Intumescent Paint
Professional fire-proofing painters have what general construction companies and DIY handymen do not possess: experience working with the paints themselves. Intumescent paints have a unique chemical makeup and consistency compared to other paints, and expert painters know how to account for this in their painting techniques. The application process can even vary depending on the type of material you want to cover. Each building utilizes different structural materials, such as wood, steel, concrete, and more, and there are distinct types of paint for each material type. For a better idea of the variety of paints and materials they cover, browse our selection of intumescent paints here at Firefree Coatings.
Expertise With Building Fires and Prevention
Intumescent paints are a type of passive fire protection measure that fire-proofing professionals understand better than anyone. Using passive fire measures requires extensive knowledge of fire containment and where to place certain features to contain fires most effectively. For example, by applying intumescent paint and setting up fire doors in a certain area of a building, you can keep fires contained in a single room.
DIY painters would not have the proper experience and training to apply intumescent paints in the correct layouts for optimal fire protection. This is why hiring a fire-resistant paint expert is so important during your project’s initial construction phases. In modern buildings, you should never proceed with the construction process without some form of passive fire protection.
Meet Government Regulations
A poor intumescent paint application wastes time and materials and puts your building at risk. Patchy or thin paint coatings provide openings for fire to spread to your building’s structural materials. To meet manufacturer guidelines for using intumescent paints, they should have a thorough and knowledgeable application. You may even have local government regulations to follow when it comes to the use of intumescent paints. The best way to ensure that your building follows all fire regulations and meets safety standards is to hire a professional.
Achieve Aesthetically Pleasing Finishes
Unfortunately, not all fire safety measures have the most aesthetic appearance. Some fire protection features are bulky or unnatural looking. However, intumescent paints can leave a pleasing finish on almost any material.
The best way to achieve an aesthetically pleasing finish with your fire-resistant paints is to hire an expert for application. Experienced painters understand the ideal thickness and layering of intumescent paints, which helps them create an even and clean coating. You want to make sure that any exposed building materials have a clean appearance to ensure they do not harm your interior design or curb appeal.
Where To Find Fire Retardant Paints and Experts
Now that you know the benefits of a professional paint application, you might be wondering where you can find these fire-resistant paints for your building. Here at Firefree Coatings, we provide flame retardant coatings for a variety of building materials. We personally test our high-performance paints to ensure they provide the best in terms of fire protection and containment.
If you are interested in fire-resistant paint for your next project, browse our selection of indoor and outdoor paint at Firefree Coatings. Look for professional painters with intumescent painting experience to avoid an incomplete paint application that puts your building at risk.
As you plan and select an intumescent paint that suits your building’s structural materials, remember these reasons to hire an expert to apply fire-retardant paints. While they are effective at suppressing fires through their chemical release formula, intumescent paints can only be fully effective with the proper application.
Hiring an expert is the safest way to get the most out of your coating investment. If you have an expert in mind and need fire safety coatings to supply them with, browse our selection of safety-tested paints at Firefree Coatings, Inc.