Consider upgrading before you undertake the upheaval of replacement
Unless you happen to own or run a purpose-built rest home, it is almost inevitable that your building has been, at some time, converted for the purpose from a property that was probably not ideally suited for the purpose.
As anyone who’s recently converted their loft will testify, any change of use or property conversion will attract the attention of the legislative authorities and particularly Building Control and the Fire Officer.
What are the Problems?
When it comes to refurbishment, the problems of upgrading the fire resistance of any structure can bring its own set of headaches. In most circumstances, upgrading will usually involve some fairly major building work, such as removing lath and plaster walls and ceilings, or at the very least over boarding them, removing timber panelling, casing structural steelwork, boxing-in structural timbers and replacing doors. Add to this the loss of revenue from delays, the requirements of heritage bodies to keep existing materials or replace them with expensive, bespoke modern imitations and the clearing up. It’s therefore understandable that some people walk away from buildings that would under different circumstances, make ideal properties (the catch 22 – how do you give a 60-minute upgrade to an existing, period lath and plaster ceiling without fitting plasterboard over the top?).
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However increasing the fire resistance of a structure need not be the nightmare it often becomes. Passive fire protection systems exist for most situations, enabling standard building materials to be upgraded in-situ. Lath and plaster ceilings, even those in poor condition, can either be protected with intumescent lining paper or protected from above with under floor fire barrier. Coatings exist to increase the fire resistance of panelling and intumescent paints can be used to increase the fire resistance of painted and papered walls as well as some plastics, especially useful for creating protected escape routes. You can also impart extended fire protection to soft furnishings and clothing, even washable items, with spray-applied liquids.
Most modern passive fire protection products can be fitted by experienced builders, decorators or maintenance crews, whilst causing minimum disruption to the day-to-day running of a home. This allows both staff to carry on their daily routines and creates the minimum of upset to residents. Whereas at one time, the development of a product would concentrate solely on its functional characteristics, contemporary materials are also assessed for their aesthetic qualities and their ability to blend in with their surroundings.
Much work has also been done to improve the safe use of these products in occupied properties, such as the adoption of completely waterborne coating systems for both steel, timber and plaster and non-fibrous barrier systems, which lead to little residual odour and no airborne particulate.
So next time you have to carry out fire protection work following a fire inspection, risk assessment or building refurbishment, consider the option of improving you existing materials with independently tested and certificated upgrade products, rather than removal or rebuilding. It could save you time and money with no compromise on safety.
Phil Parton, Technical Manager, Advanced Chemical Specilaties Ltd
9 Bofors Park, Artillery Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8YH
Tel: 01935 414012 E: info@acslimited.co.uk
Fax: 01935 414022 W: ACSlimited.co.uk
