Things to Know About Fireproofing Indiana

Generally, we try our best to avoid all the dangerous things. For instance, a chainsaw is very dangerous. So, we try not to use it. However, some of the dangerous things are so necessary that they cannot be avoided, like fire. Whether you are cooking food or smoking a cigarette, you need fire. Because we cannot avoid it, we should at least learn how to prevent any damage. Keeping in mind that there are more than a thousand fire-related incidents in the United States each year, every person should take necessary steps so as to fireproof their houses and office buildings.But before you do that, here are a few things you need to know about fireproofing.

What does fireproofing actually mean?

Fireproofing is a kind of a false term. It suggests that a building is made completely resistant from fire. We have not been able to achieve that till now. What fireproofing actually means is making the building fire retardant in order to minimize the damages, because we cannot completely prevent the damage. For this, some non-flammable and non-combustible materials are used for coating the walls and ceilings. This is for the buildings that have already been constructed. If you want to make your house or office fireproof from the beginning, you should hire an architect that specializes in fireproof designs, so the building is designed in such a way that fire does not spread too rapidly.Also, apply fireproof coatings on all the construction materials.

What non-flammable materials are used?

You must have heard about asbestos. It was the most commonly used fire retardant material for fireproofing Indiana buildings. But research into the material should that it is toxic and can even cause cancer. Therefore, it was banned throughout the United States a few years back. Nowadays, fiber spays or cementitious sprays, of low density, are used. Fiber spays are cheaper but are unable to adhere properly with steel. They are also ineffective for wet places. That’s why the materials of high or medium density are considered to be better. They contain Portland cement and are resistant to water. These materials are better at fire retardation and are much more durable, but then they are very expensive too. Intumescent paint is used for fireproofing the exposed steel.

What precautions should be taken?

Once you have got your house or office fireproofed, you need not worry too much about any major fire incidents. But this does not mean that you should start taking fire lightly. As mentioned above, fireproofing cannot prevent the damages, it just minimized them. So, you still need to be very careful. The most basic precautions are handling inflammable substances with extreme cautions. Whether it is cooking gas or kerosene, any building would have some inflammable substance. You need to make sure that these things are kept at safe places. You should also keep fire extinguishers in the building, and check them time to time to be sure that they are working properly.