Wins in comparison with other methods

There is no comparable technique to match wood that has been industrially impregnated with fire-retardant in a vacuum/pressure process when it comes to meeting fire-safety regulations, quality standards, strength requirements and natural properties.

The retardant is injected and fixed inside the very structure of the wood and gives secure, long-lasting fire protection. The impregnated wood can be used both outdoors and indoors. Impregnation does not affect the wood’s natural properties such as structure, ageing and strength. The wood can be worked to some degree and can be surface-treated through glazing, painting and varnishing, for instance.

Paint can never have fire-protection ability

Expanding fire-retardant paint provides surface protection and in some cases also construction protection, but can never meet the requirements for non-combustible lining materials. What is more, it does not resist a moist environment and affects the wood’s feel and structure.

Dipping, spraying and brushing do not give any permanent fire protection, providing only uncontrolled short-term flame protection. This method cannot be controlled because there is no way of knowing how much of the retardant the wood has absorbed if for instance spraying was conducted at a work-site or a machine was used to brush on the retardant, since the wood is not weighed afterwards to verify how much retardant has been absorbed.

Vertical or horizontal application, spillage and so on also have significance and are difficult to control. These methods neither should nor can, according to the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning and other instances, be used other than as a temporary measure, for instance for short-term exhibitions lasting a weekend, at trade fairs and so on.

Fire-retardant impregnation is without doubt the best fire protection for wood

Process-steered industrial impregnation undoubtedly offers the best permanent fire protection for wood. Here, however, it is important to choose the right type of retardant. There are simple salt solutions that cause leaching problems, and there are Dricon and Non-Com – which Woodsafe uses.

Simple salt solutions work as fire protection but they have several negative characteristics. Among other things, they are moisture-sensitive, aggressive and corrosive. Moisture sensitivity is very important in this context, since hygroscopic salt absorbs moisture through the air and through the paint layer. If the paint layer is inadequate, this binds large quantities of moisture in the wood panel, leading to rotting and salt leaching.

Avoid these problems with Woodsafe Dricon and Non-Com

Our impregnation agents are quality-assured through more than 25 years of practical use the world over, and they are quality-controlled on a regular basis by independent quality inspectors and by Arch Timber Protection, which holds the patents for Dricon and Non-Com.

Woodsafe Dricon has been formulated not to absorb moisture and it contains no simple salt solutions that cause problems such as salt leaching or moisture absorption. Woodsafe Non-Com has also been shown to be entirely problem-free as regards leaching and moisture absorption.