Structural steel is strong, but in a fire it loses strength as it heats. Intumescent coatings are the most common way to protect it — buying vital time for people to escape and for the structure to stay standing.
How they work
An intumescent coating looks like ordinary paint, but when exposed to heat it swells dramatically into a thick insulating char. That char shields the steel, slowing the rate at which it reaches its critical temperature.
Fire ratings
Coatings are applied to a specified dry-film thickness to achieve a required period of protection — typically 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes — as set out in the building’s fire-engineering strategy.
How they are applied
- Steel is cleaned and primed
- The intumescent basecoat is sprayed to the specified thickness
- Thickness is checked and recorded for certification
- An optional decorative top-coat is applied to exposed steelwork
Looks as well as safety
For exposed architectural steel, a colour-matched top-coat means the fire protection doubles as a finished decorative surface — no need for boxing-in or boarding.
Documentation matters
We provide product data, applied-thickness records and certification for building control and warranty purposes, and apply systems on live and fit-out projects nationwide.
Talk to us
Share your fire-protection schedule or drawings and we will quote the right certified system for your steelwork.
