Treatment of Wood to Reduce Combustibility

The treatment of wood to reduce combustibility and thus gain increased acceptance in the construction field plays a part in the promotion of the use of wood. A great deal of work needs to be done, however, to demonstrate that required fire protection aspects are preserved. There are well established methods available for the fire-retardant treatment of wood in order to decrease flame spread, the fuel contributed to the fire, and the amount of smoke generated during combustion. Standards and test methods are available for the rating of this treatment. The field record of these treatments, however, has not been sufficiently well established to warrant substantial recognition from an insurance point of view. Furthermore, other than in the case of fire doors, sufficient data are not available as to the fire-retardant rating of wall construction using treated wood, and further applied research is required. The future of wood treated to reduce combustibility appears to lie mainly in the interior finish category in cases where the life hazard potentialities are paramount and the spread of fire must be kept within reasonable limits for sufficient length of time to permit evacuation of occupants. To date, the problem of weathering does not appear to have been solved and the application of surface coatings is restricted to surfaces protected from weathering.

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