The Needs and Application of Intumescent Paint

Reactive Paints and Intumescent paints are the same things. Intumescent colors tend to react when subjected to high heat. If reactive paint is brought in contact with a temperature of more than 120 degrees, the paint will intumesce. That means it will swell up to 50 times to that of the paint’s thickness. In the case of intumescent steel paint, it will form a tough carbon layer that protects the steel substrate by maintaining a temperature below 550 degrees or 620 degrees.

These reactive paints form the best-fireproofing element while building homes. Almost all the Sydney fit out companies advises using this esthetically pleasant fireproofing material while constructing a building.

Now that you have gathered the basic knowledge about intumescent paint in Sydney, it’s time to learn when to use it.

The need for intumescent paint

During a fatal fire, it is crucial to make sure that the steel frames of the building are under proper protection. If appropriately protected, the steels will not reach their failure temperature that lies between 550 to 620 degrees. Below this temperature range, the structural steels of the building remain in a state of 'elasticity.' That form allows the iron to deflect or bend and return to its original position once there is no external pressure.

Once the temperature goes beyond the basic level, the structural steel goes into a form termed as 'plastic.' That means the steel, under too much pressure, will bend and buckle, thereby leading to a total collapse of the building. Intumescent paint is required in such situations that bring about thermal insulation in the structural materials like timber and steel during a fatal fire and prevent the building from premature collapse.

Specifications and the process of application

Intumescent paint in Sydney is the most common fire protection form used on steel. That is because the product is widely available and comes at a pocket-friendly price. Intumescent coating and paints are available in solvent and water-based forms. They come with fire ratings of 120, 90, 60 and 30 minutes using thick-film intumescent and thin film intumescent technology.

Applying intumescent steel paint is an easy process. You can either use a spray machine or a brush. A brush application will cost you 500 microns/coat, and a machine application will require 1000 microns/layer. Make sure that you offer enough drying time before applying the second and third coats. That will provide the paint for attaining the perfect fire protection capacity. It will help if you use a Wet Film Gauge while applying the paint to assess the thickness of each layer of the paint. These gauges are readily available with all Sydney fit out companies.

In conclusion

Fire is always a deadly danger to commercial as well as residential buildings. That is the reason you must practice all the safety measures to keep your house safe from fire damage. However, no building materials are fully fire-resistant. So, all we can do is keep catastrophic blazes at bay by using the correct equipment while constructing the house. There is undoubtedly a brilliant fire-protective measure using intumescent paint in Sydney.