Fire Resistant Insulation Complements Safety Systems
By Andrew Stratton

It is all too easy for an accidental spark to start a blaze. And, as the nation has recently seen, weather can conspire to prolong and expand the breadth of the flames. However, employing fire resistant foam offers some defense against smaller blazes, and as easy as spraying in insulation.

Foam insulation spray offers another means of insulating a building. It is cost effective in the energy output it saves you. It is also greener than other insulating materials and flame resistant. Foam is effective as a sealant because it expands to fill every crevice and empty space, even between joists and joints. In this way, the insulator keeps out air and debris, among other things.

As part of a fire protection system, its sealing feature is also of great benefit. With the foam, you don t have to worry about air pockets within the material where combustibles can collect or cause other hazardous problems. You also don t have to fear flames getting into unfilled pockets to either burn the structure beneath or become hotbeds should a fire occur. Additionally, the fact that the insulation keeps air out prevents more air from reaching a blaze or causing dangerous backdrafts.

One of the best features about fire resistant insulation is that the material itself doesn t burn. Even if fire somehow gets into the insulation, the substance doesn t catch fire. Admittedly, after prolonged exposure to flames, the surface shows charring, but the flames never take hold. Considering the cost of rampant fire damage, charring is a much nicer and more affordable trade off.

In trial tests, investigators built three sample crawl spaces. This trial was conducted to compare the performances of one type of insulator to an untreated “calibration” construction. This first was used for a calibration test. The other two were treated with one type of a spray in insulation product. Each crawl space was tested to a “failure time” in which the flames consumed the plywood or could no longer be sustained.

The calibration deck exhibited steady flames from the front after 6 minutes of exposure to a flame source placed inside the construct. After 9:30 minutes, the blaze penetrated the plywood.

The second and third tests reflected similar results, which surpassed the results of industry standard tests. Specifically, after 1:40 minutes, the controlled blaze ate into the insulation surface, but there was no ignition. After 3:40, there was sporadic ignition of the foam s surface. Ignition ceased after 8:30 minutes. In nearly ten minutes of exposure, there was no burn through of the test material nor the plywood above it.

The investigators allowed the flame source to burn until it collapsed, a period of nearly twenty minutes. The test was finally ended after 26 minutes. There was charring over the whole of the insulating surface, and some loss of material where the flames touched the surface, but the plywood was completely intact as was the majority of the spray in material.

Other products don t last nearly as long in tests. Clearly, fire resistant insulation is an effective way to protect your building. The benefits are clear from the tests.

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Fire hazards are a concern for any building owner. Creating a safe structure is a primary consideration. Employing fire resistant insulation is a smart choice. Visit Apex Foam Industries to see how their products can serve your needs. http://www.apexfoam.com

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