I have been asked by my building control officer to protect a Steel beam in my new house. What do I do?

Before we can protect a steel beam or column, we need to know the steel size, and the protection time. This would be found from the drawings submitted to your local building control department. The steel size would be shown for example as 150 x 150 x 30, and its length. With this information contact Tayfire (International) Limited and we will input the data into our computer program. This will then give you the quantity of material required and the loadings required to the beam.

I have new timber linings in my cabin which I wish to protect. How much material do I need?

If you wish to protect new timber linings then contact Tayfire (International) Limited with the area you wish to protect. We will then work out how much material you need to Class 1 or Class O. A Topcoat will be supplied in either a Satin or Matt finish which seals the timbers in and prevents moisture from penertrating into the timbers. Please note that in areas of high humidity for example in a kitchen or bathroom then you must apply two Topcoats.

I have old timbers in my house and wish to upgrade them to protect them against fire. Can I apply your products to the timbers?

Old timbers must be sanded back to remove all existing paints and varnishes to ensure correct adhesion. (see multiple paint layers further down the page) Once the timbers have been sanded back, wash down with water and allow to dry. (at least 3 days) Once completley dry apply Firecote products in accordance with instructions.

I have an old door which I wish to upgrade to a half hour fire door, can I apply Tayfire (International) Limited products to achieve this?

In short no. We no longer supply Intumescents to upgrade doors due to the building regulations evolving and changing over the years.

The information below is taken from www.chilternfire.co.uk

Prior to 1972 the British Standards prescriptively defined how to construct a fire doorset and this included using 25mm doorstops. Since then the standards have been changed and the method of proving performance is by independent testing. For economic reasons, manufacturers generally test to achieve 30 minutes and sell the same product for 20-minute applications as well. Purchasers should satisfy themselves that acceptable evidence exists, rather than working to out of date prescriptive solutions.

There are numerous methods for upgrading existing doorsets to enhance their inherent fire resistance, although every upgrade is specific to each doorset and consequently may not necessarily be appropriate for another design. The only way to ensure that the most appropriate method is chosen - and to have the enhanced integrity performance underwritten - is by commissioning a site survey by a qualified fire engineer. The relatively large number of components that make up a fire-rated doorset are integral to its performance and a comprehensive knowledge of these components is needed, eg:

1.Whether the door can be upgraded to the required integrity.
2.What the most appropriate upgrading measures are.
3.If there are other issues that may negate the performance of the door, such as sidelights or over panels.
4.How to address glazing, panelling, ironmongery, intumescents, core type etc.