Draft fire-retardant timber coatings code of practice

The extensive range of FWPA WoodSolutions design guides supporting the use of wood in construction has now been expanded with the proposed addition of a new draft code of practice on the use of fire-retardant timber coatings. 

A draft code of practice (CoP) on the use of fire-retardant coatings applied to timber products to achieve the performance required by the National Construction Code (NCC) has been produced by FWPA WoodSolutions.

It addresses issues relating to the supply, testing, installation and maintenance of fire retardant coatings – and is designed to complement the existing NCC.

Currently, people wanting to rely on coatings need to take a ‘performance’ based approach in which they prove that it will work.

FWPA is working towards having the NCC amended so that fire-retardant coatings could be used as part of a ‘deemed to satisfy’ solution – enabling a more streamlined specification process.

The draft CoP was developed by Paul England of EFT Consulting, who has more than 30 years’ fire-related expertise.

See draft Code of Practice here.