When you are using any kind of wooden material in the construction of house then it is important that it should be fire retardant. Since wood is an inflammable material and its presence in the household may prove to be a safety hazard against fire.
Therefore, fire resistant lumber is treated with certain chemicals under high pressure so that fire resistant chemicals get impregnated in the lumber. If such wood is exposed to fire then its decompose rate will be much slower as compared to any untreated woods. Due to the presence of chemicals this fire retarded treated wood (FRTW) will release nonflammable gasses along with water vapor instead of catching fire.
FRTW can easily maintain its structural integrity for much longer duration as compared to any ordinary untreated woods and also it can help in slowing down the fire progression.
You can easily paint or apply varnishes on FRTW like any other woods and therefore you can use such FRTW for both internal as well as external applications.
How can you use FRTW?
You can use FRTW for almost any kind of applications like any other ordinary lumber. The structural integrity and strength of FRTW remains unchanged after its chemical treatments. On the contrary it becomes superior quality of lumber because of its fire resistance property.
Some of the common applications of FRTW are as follows:
- Interior partition
- Roof construction
- Exterior walls
- Fire barriers
- Corridor and hallways
- Building frames and support structure
- External architectural application
You can get clearance from NRPA regulations for safety from fire by using FRTW. Therefore, you have to pay lower rate of insurance premium if you have used FRTW in your home.
When FRTW is used in any exterior area where it is exposed to external environment like humidity and other climatic conditions then it should be further treated with non-leaching chemicals in addition to fire retardant chemicals. It is then subjected to accelerated weathering test where it is subjected to regular cycles of drying and wetting. After getting clearance from this accelerated test these lumbers are approved for external use.
When FRTW is used for roof construction then it should be supported by reinforced concrete beam and metals too. If plywood is used for this purpose then it should have at least minimum thickness of 19 mm and both the lumber and plywood should be used like tongue and groove. However, major application of FRTW is in building decks in the house.
