What Is Fireproofing?

In this day and age there is a lot of talk about fireproofing. However, how many people actually know what fireproofing is, or how it is done? First of all, you have to understand that fireproofing is very needed today. Fireproofing something means that you are taking passive fire protection measures to protect a building in case of a fire. Most of the time, fireproofing is done by making certain materials and or structures resistant to fire. Usually this is done by adding certain materials to things that are fire resistant already. The better materials you use, the better fire resistance rating you are going to get. However, it is important to keep in mind the fact that, just because something is fireproofed, does not mean that it will be entirely unaffected by fire. Nothing can ever be entirely immune to fires, but fireproofing them does give you a better chance of having your things protected in case of a fire.

There are many places where you can see fireproofing hard at work. Some places included steel structures to help them stay below 540 degrees. You can also see it used with electrical circuits to keep them below 140 degrees. This helps them stay operational all the time. Other places you may run into fireproofing would be things like pipe bridges at a chemical plant or in the concrete lining of a traffic tunnel. Keeping these things fireproofed is very important for every day living. If you think of the millions of people that use a bridge or a steel building every year, then you will see why fireproofing these things is a must.

There are a few inorganic methods that people use to help fireproof things. A lot of these are designed as a spray that is used to coat things that need to be fireproofed. When you spray on these materials it usually covers the surface kind of like a plaster. There are three very famous fireproofing plasters that are out there. The first one is known as Gypsum plaster. The other two are cementitious plasters and of course, fibrous plasters. Depending on what you are trying to fireproof, will determine the type of plaster that is best suited for you. Once again, just because it is covered in this special type of plaster does not mean that it is going to be completely safe from fires.

Although a lot of people do not think about buildings being fireproofed, they are. A lot of new apartment buildings are being made with fire walls to help protect the people that are living there. This way, if someone living next door to you has a fire, the fire will be stopped by the fire wall. Of course, it is never a sure thing. It is very possible for a fire to come through a fire wall; so this is not something that you can rely on. If your apartment ever catches on fire, you need to get out right away (even if you have fire walls). If the fire walls work, then your stuff will be protected, but if it does not work, then you do not want to go down in flames like the rest of your things.