There are many reasons that you might need to ensure that your building materials are fire-resistant. Commercial properties are commonly required by code to be fire resistant, and there are locations around the globe where fire risks are quite high, leading to fire-resistant building construction as a standard practice.
From fire-rated drywall to building materials that are intended to preserve your home in the instance of a fire, you have your choice of many quality materials that are ideal for preserving the main structure of your home in case of a fire. Knowing more about the right materials for fire code or fire safety can help you to create buildings that will hold up to even the toughest fire-related challenges.
What Kinds of Building Materials Are Considered to be Fire-Resistant?
1. Concrete
Concrete is one of the main components of fire-resistant buildings. Concrete will not burn, drip, smoke, or turn into a molten material. This makes it ideal for foundations and for commercial buildings so that fire is not a significant risk. Concrete can be costly when used for a large part of a building, but the safety of its use can help to save you money in the long run.
2. Brick
Brick is one of the classic non-combustible materials that your building might be made from. This is a material that can withstand high temperatures without burning or emitting toxic gases. Brick is not affordable to use as a building material in every part of the world, but in places where it is available, it is an ideal choice.
3. Fire-Rated Drywall
The drywall in buildings is one of the main sources of fuel for fires. There are drywall materials that are resistant to catching on fire and they are typically used for commercial properties or homes that are built in areas where fire is a big risk.
4. Intumescent Coatings
This product looks like normal paint, but it actually expands when exposed to heat, creating a barrier that can help prevent the spread of a fire. This is one of the latest technologies that is used to prevent a fire from consuming a building, and it is growing in popularity due to its effectiveness.
5. Stucco
Another classic fire-retardant material, stucco, is a common building component in places like Arizona, where fire risks are more significant. Stucco is also really beautiful to look at, which is an added bonus.
When Should You Worry About Using Fire-Retardant Building Materials?
Fire-resistant building materials can be critical for use for a variety of reasons. Knowing why you need to use these materials can help you to determine if you need to build structures with this critical safety consideration in mind or not. While there might be added upfront costs to using these materials for your next construction project, you will save money in the long run if there is a fire on your property.
1. Code Requirements
Particularly in commercial code requirements, it is often required that at least part of your commercial property will be fire-proofed with fire-retardant materials. There are many industries that do not expose structures to fire risks, but you might still need to meet this code standard when building due to county or state laws.
You will need to be sure that you are familiar with the requirements of building code in your state or county before you assume that you do not have to think about fire-retardant materials for your construction job.
2. Commercial Properties
As mentioned above, commercial properties are often required to be built with fire-safe materials. This is often quite obvious when you consider the kind of work that is usually done in factory settings. However, if you work in certain industries, you might not be required by law or code to use fire-resistant materials for your construction project. You might still elect to use them just in case there is ever a fire on your property, but you might not be mandated to do so by law.
3. Public Buildings
This is another kind of building that often requires fire-proofing. Construction jobs for these kinds of buildings often include fire safety considerations of various kinds and you might be required to use very specific fire-safe materials in the construction of these kinds of locations.
4. Escape Routes
Stairways, fire exits, and hallways are often also built with fire-safe materials. You need to be sure that any building that you construct can be escaped in the instance that there is a fire. This is a critical missing component in lots of older buildings, and deaths due to fire might be far more likely in buildings from these eras.
5. Interior Spaces With Ignition Sources
Kitchens are a classic example of a room in any home where a fire might happen. Most builders will automatically use fire-safe building materials in any space where a fire could potentially happen on a regular basis. Just having an oven or a fireplace in a room means that fire-safe materials should be used for the construction of the room.
Fire-Safe Materials Can Help Save Lives
If you are building a home or a commercial building, be sure to check on the laws and guidelines for code in your part of the world. It is likely that there are certain parts of the building that will need to be constructed using fire-safe materials. You might also want to add intumescent paint to locations where ignition sources might lead to significant fire risk.
Keeping your property safe from major damage during a fire is more about protecting the lives of the people inside the building than it is about keeping the building intact following a fire. You might still have to rebuild significant portions of the building if there is a fire, but the goal of fire-retardant materials is to ensure that the people inside the structure are able to escape the fire with their lives.
