We had a bit of a scare in Colorado Springs last week. There was a house fire in a tightly packed and wooded neighborhood. There are house fires from time to time, but it’s been especially dry here lately. Having a fire in a neighborhood like this brought back vivid memories of our Mountain Shadows neighborhood that was destroyed by a forest fire last summer. Everyone is on high alert.
I have a client in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. Their home was nearly destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire. Instead of catching on fire, the stucco was heated so much that it caused the insulation to smolder, which went through the drywall and caught the curtains on fire. Luckily the curtains were the smoldering kind. So instead of quickly going up in flames, they generated a lot of smoke. There was extensive smoke damage on that floor with lesser smoke damage in the rest of the house.
We were all thankful they had a home to return to. As good as stucco is, it does have it’s limitations. I would like to propose an exterior fire retardant that will help in situations like these. It’s different because it goes on like paint, making it the first line of defense, and it comes in hundreds of light and mid tone colors, making it attractive. It has a lot of features which you can read about on my page about this coating. For now, I’m focusing on it’s ability to resist flames as a class A fire rated material.
Flame resistance classifications
Different rating agencies have different ways to describe fire resistant categories, but they all meet the same or very similar requirements.
Class A or 1 or I:
Flame spread Index of 25 or less
Smoke Developed Index of 450 or less
Class B or 2 or II:
Flame spread Index between 25 and 75
Smoke Developed Index of 450 or less
Class C or 3 or III:
Flame spread Index between 75 and 200
Smoke Developed Index of 450 or less
Super Therm Flammability Testing
Super Therm, the coating I’m working with, was tested twice. Once in 1990 by an independent lab under ASTM E 84 requirements and again in 1995 by NASA, with the same results. NASA performed a fire rating and subsequent toxicity test on Super Therm. Their report dated May 4, 1995, showed the “Flame Spread Index” and “Smoke Developed Index” was “0” (out of 100). 100 being the worst. That is the highest classification available, a class “A” fire resistance rating. According to the report, “SUPER THERM rated excellent in absolutely no contribution to flame or fire. This is an unusual rating for any paint product as most will score from a low of 15 up to 88. The “A” classification is the highest classification that can be achieved. This result definitely shows the quality of SUPER THERM. NASA is currently so impressed with SUPER THERM that they are now establishing testing in additional areas of need for the space center”.
The toxicity test showed similar results. “Super Therm water based paint passed the toxic outgassing test and received a K rating, which is the highest rating possible. A K rating means that over 100 lbs. of the material could be present in a man-rated situation without exceeding allowable values established by NASA.”
Super Therm was also granted a Class A rating by Underwriters Laboratory and Factory Mutual, both well known and authoritative testing organizations. This is high praise for a paint product.
It’s also the reason I wanted to make it available for the general public to consider as a tool in their personal fire safety. This doesn’t mean it’s fire proof. Given enough heat, like a blast furnace, it will burn. But it will give you and your family enough time to get out of the house safely and most likely give the fire department enough time to get there before serious damage is done.
About Super Therm
Super Therm is an attractive exterior or interior coating that goes on like paint and comes in many light to mid tone colors. It’s very durable and will last a very long time when you follow the application instructions. It’s been used for 25 years by homeowners, business, governments and institutions across the world. Super Therm is manufactured by Superior Products International II, Inc., in Shawnee, KS. I am a certified dealer for their products. Their web site is www.spicoatings.com.
About Better Painting & Coatings
I am not a member of the BBB but do not have any complaints on file either. I am a member of the USGBC and PPSBN. You can read testimonials by satisfied customers on my product pages, look at my LinkedIn profile. My goal is to provide better looking, longer lasting results for all my clients.