Reliable wood fire protection coating

Wood construction is booming and brings with it new challenges, such as fire protection. One coatings manufacturer has developed a versatile, reliable and environmentally compatible fire protection coating for this purpose.

Fire protection is an issue almost everywhere where wood is used in construction: In public buildings such as administrative, educational and healthcare facilities; in escape and rescue routes as well as fire barriers; at train stations and airports, in trade fair and store construction or in theaters. For many of these fields of application, the Pyrolan Expand coating system from Adler Lacke offers the optimum solution. The coating is uncomplicated and versatile in its application and allows the wood surface to be preserved in its natural appearance or to be designed in numerous color shades. In addition, the coating structure is completely water-based and free of formaldehyde as well as biocides, heavy metals and halogens - so no toxic substances such as formaldehyde are released in the event of fire. And most importantly: Pyrolan Expand achieves the best fire protection class according to EN 13501-1 with B-s1, d0, which is possible for combustible building materials such as wood and wood-based materials.

The coating achieves this high fire protection factor thanks to an innovative combination of raw materials contained in the Pyrolan Expand Base primer. At high heat - around 300 degrees - a carbon foam is formed that covers the wood like a protective layer and shields it from the flames. The development and spread of a fire are thus significantly slowed. "In the event of a fire, time is the decisive factor," explains Stefan Frumlacher, who was jointly responsible for the development of the new product in the Adler laboratory. "The longer the wood is protected, the larger the time window for evacuation, a rescue operation and fighting the fire. And it is also essential for the statics of a wooden building that load-bearing structures are protected as best as possible against a fire."

In addition to its high functionality, Pyrolan Expand is also characterized by a wide range of application possibilities. The coating can be sprayed, painted or rolled. In the spraying process, two working passes are sufficient: First, the primer Pyrolan Expand Base is applied and then top-coated with Pyrolan Expand Top. The top coat ensures that the fire protection function is permanently maintained and at the same time protects the wood from damage and soiling. It can also be used to subsequently coat interior wood elements that have already been installed in order to increase fire protection. In addition, Pyrolan Expand offers great design freedom: "In the glazing version, we have optimized the coloring of the coating for numerous common wood species, such as spruce or fir, in order to preserve the natural appearance of the wood. In addition, we can also offer Pyrolan Expand in various color shades as an opaque variant," explains Stefan Frumlacher.

Bernhard Schiffthaler, Adler Key Account Manager for wood construction in Austria, sees great potential in the new coating system: "Currently, effective fire protection is usually only possible with technically complex solutions. The alternative is often to cover wooden surfaces with plasterboard, for example, which means that the natural appearance of the wood is lost. Pyrolan Expand, on the other hand, enables rational fire protection while preserving the naturalness of the wood surfaces." Reliable fire protection, a classy look and efficient application: Pyroland Expand thus opens up numerous new possibilities for modern timber construction (OM-06/23).