Wall cladding activities often impose serious restrictions on the contractor in choosing suitable materials. Depending on the place of use of the finish, high demands can be placed on decorativeness, moisture resistance and environmental safety of the coating. The fire resistance of the cladding does not always come to the fore, but this quality should also be taken into account for safety purposes. Today, non-combustible finishing materials are available in different formats and sizes, so you can make the best choice for any room.
Fireproof panels
This is an extensive group of facing coatings that are resistant to fire and high temperatures. The features of such panels include the absence of harmful fumes in direct contact with the flame. In other words, during a fire, a room with such a finish not only prevents the spread of fire, but also does not pose a threat of toxic poisoning. From the point of view of other consumer qualities, non-combustible material for walls in the form of panels is quite diverse. In this category, you can find sheets with an attractive exterior finish based on laminated coatings, and water-resistant boards, as well as material withincreased mechanical resistance. The combination of these properties is determined by the specific composition of the panel, so their varieties should be considered separately.
Types of non-combustible panels
The most popular are calcium silicate-based sheets. This material is non-toxic, environmentally neutral, not afraid of moisture and flexible enough during installation. That is, it is quite possible to decorate the surfaces of the walls of a residential building with calcium silicate panels without fear of the spread of fire. If there is a question about which non-combustible materials are best suited for commercial and public facilities, then you should turn to glass-magnesite plates. This is a modification of the calcium silicate filler, which provides higher performance. In particular, glass-magnesite-based panels are distinguished by increased rigidity and strength, but at the same time they remain resistant to fire effects. The rigidity of the panels is provided by double structured fiberglass reinforcement.
Drywall
Another type of non-combustible panels, quite well-known both in professional circles and among ordinary homeowners. True, in this case, it is the fire-resistant modification of drywall that is meant, since in standard versions it belongs to a combustible finish. Refractory boards of this type can withstand up to 20 minutes of direct contact with the flame. This indicator is far from record values and even to its averagedifficult to attribute, but this disadvantage is offset by a low price. The fact is that non-combustible materials on the same calcium silicate basis are calculated to meet high fire safety requirements, and therefore are more expensive. In the case of drywall, you can expect to get an inexpensive, but visually attractive coating that has basic fire protection.
Flame retardant wallpapers
As is the case with gypsum-based panels, fire-resistant versions are also found in the families of traditional finishing materials. In particular, the latest modifications of fiberglass wallpaper can be considered as a full-fledged fire-retardant coating with a decorative effect. Manufacturers use special threads made from natural raw materials as the basis of the material. The composition usually includes silica sand, which forms a glass fiber structure. The features possessed by non-combustible materials of this type include low absorbent capacity. This means that during operation, the coating can be washed with water and foam. As for other properties, they fully meet the requirements for modern materials - both in terms of decoration and resistance to mechanical damage and natural deformations.
Flame retardant textile materials
Fabric finishing has been used by designers for several decades, but even today this material stands alone in the general assortment and is in demand only among connoisseursoriginal texture on the walls. One way or another, interesting solutions can be found in this family both in terms of decorative qualities and in terms of providing fire protection. Manufacturers initially form a fabric base using traditional technologies, after which they process the material with fire retardant solutions. The fibers themselves, from which fabric non-combustible materials are made, are polyester substances that help preserve the original structure of the fabric over many years of operation. By the way, this finish is used not only in wall cladding, but is also widely used in the design of transport interiors.
Mineral wool
It happens that the use of materials with refractory qualities for one reason or another does not justify itself. In such situations, the solution is the device of a separate coating. If combustible and non-combustible materials are correctly arranged in one finish, then it is quite possible to achieve the necessary qualities in the form of a lack of toxicity, smoke formation and the risk of ignition in a fire. Mineral wool can become an auxiliary component as one of the most common insulators with refractory qualities. The advantages of such a solution include the possibility of providing other useful properties - for example, a heat and sound insulation effect.
Conclusion
Competent protection against the spread of fire is still not limited to wall decoration alone. The relevant requirements for fire resistance mustapply also to floor coverings, the wooden and synthetic base of which also poses a fire hazard. In this regard, it is worth noting that many non-combustible wall materials are also suitable for decorating other surfaces. Some of the panels, for example, have a universal purpose. Of course, it is not always possible to maintain the intended stylistic effect in interior design in this way, but the integrity of the refractory finish is a serious help in terms of fire safety. But combined options from several types of fire-retardant coatings can become no less worthy protection, provided that high-quality installation is carried out.
