Resistant, Retardant or Rated? Understanding fire safety terms

Heat Resistant

In terms of fire safety, heat resistant products offer the lowest level of protection. Heat Resistant materials can withstand incredibly high temperatures, with Hafnium Carbide holding the record for the most heat resistant material, with a melting point of nearly 4000 Degrees Celsius. Modern construction materials and polymers have a working temperature of around 70 Degrees Celsius, but melting points range between 100 and 300 Degrees Celsius.

However, even though heat resistant materials and products can withstand extreme temperatures, what sets it apart from other similar products is that they will not necessarily function as normal when exposed to fire.

Fire Retardant

A step up from heat resistant in terms of protection and resistance, fire retardant products and materials are similar to that of heat resistant products in the sense that they will not function correctly in the event of a fire.

Even though fire retardant products do not offer protection in terms of the functionality of products and fixtures, this type of product delivers certain qualities that provides an extra boost of safety in any home or business when it comes to fires.

When fire or flame retardant products are exposed to fire, instead of igniting and causing the flames to spread further. Products such as these will either be slow burning, offering more time to escape safely, or self-extinguishing, removing the need for manual intervention. This means that even though damage is caused and will impact functionality, the risk of widespread damage is significantly reduced.

Here at IronmongeryDirect, we offer a number of fire and flame retardant products that will provide peace of mind when it comes to fire safety especially in commercial and multiple occupancy residential buildings, including Expanding Foams and Finger Protection. Applying these products will ensure that exit routes are not only functional, but are as safe as possible in an emergency.

Fire Resistant

Offering the highest level of protection, fire resistant products will not only reduce the risk of damage and or injury caused by fire, but will also maintain full functionality during exposure.

While fire and flame resistant will still suffer some superficial damage in the form of burning, these types of products, unlike fire retardant materials, do not react to fire in a way that could possibly cause a fire to spread, such as melting or dripping.

It is important to note that the terms fire resistant and fire-proof are often used interchangeably to describe certain products, fixtures, and materials in this category.

We offer a range of Fire Resistant Foams and Sealants that only provide excellent noise and heat insulation, but maintains its own integrity as well as fixtures surrounding it for up to 4 hours.

Fire Rated

A Fire Rating is applied to a product based on how long the product can withstand a fire resistance test, therefore this rating applies to products that are also classified as fire resistant.

These ratings can be awarded to a product just based on the duration of fire resistance, but can also be indicative of their level of functionality after being exposed to fire.

Many of our Fire Rated products are manufactured to be compatible with FD30 and FD60 Fire Doors, meaning that they are designed to resist fire for up to 30 and 60 minutes respectively.

Some of our product even have a Fire Rating of 240 minutes, making for plenty of time for a full evacuation while still maintaining structural integrity.

You can find our Fire Rated products in one convenient place, including Fire Door Hinges, Nightlatches and Acoustic Mastic.

Fire Safety should always be top priority for any home or business, so it is important to install products and use appropriate consumables and tools that when combined, offer the appropriate level of resistance and protection for each specific job.