With the rise of devastating fires across the country, especially in residential buildings where many families live, the importance of fire protection cannot be overstated.
Fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW) presents a highly effective solution to mitigate fire spread, earning support from building owners, managers, designers, fire officials, and residents.
Dr. Dave Bueche, Hoover’s Director of Fire & Life Safety Codes, dives into the significance of FRTW in his white paper, “FRTW Passive Fire Protection,” in which he emphasizes the critical role of FRTW in halting the spread of fire in buildings.
People who don’t know about Fire-Retardant-Treated Wood (FRTW) are often surprised that wood can be used for fire protection just like noncombustible materials, like concrete, steel, brick or glass.
In his whitepaper, Dr. Bueche explains that modern wood is treated with special fire-retardant chemicals so if a fire starts from an outside source and reaches the treated wood, these chemicals react with the gases and tars from the burning wood. This reaction forms a carbon char on the surface, which sticks tightly and insulates the wood underneath, slowing down the spread of the fire.
The versatility of FRTW extends across various applications, from exterior walls to roof construction in multi-family dwellings. Its effectiveness in preventing fire spread makes it a preferred choice in scenarios where fire service is limited, where valuable assets are housed, or where sprinkler systems are impractical.
Hoover Treated Wood Products stands out as an industry leader in FRTW, offering trusted brands like PyroGuard™ and ExteriorFireX™ with widespread availability through a network of lumber dealers.
“Fire-retardant-treated wood offers economical fire protection on all surfaces of lumber and throughout the thickness of plywood. It allows for attractive designs, requires only common construction skills, needs no maintenance, and utilizes a renewable resource,” said Dr. Bueche.
If you want to learn more about fire-resistant wood, visit our website, frtw.com or reach out to Hoover’s free support service at 1-800-TECWOOD or tecwood@frtw.com.
Read Dr. Bueche’s full white paper to learn more about fire safety and FRTW’s role:
FRTW Passive Solution to Fire Protection
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About Dr. Dave Bueche
Dave Bueche, Director of Fire & Life Safety Codes at Hoover Treated Wood Products, is a leading authority on fire-retardant-treated wood. With 40 years of experience, he’s supervised construction projects, managed associations, led research, and taught courses. His team develops product applications, sets standards, and promotes fire-retardant-treated wood in construction. Active in ASTM, ICC, NFPA, SFPE, SWST, and past board member of the Forest Products Society, he serves on UL’s Standards Technical Panel and ASTM/NFPA committees. Bueche’s extensive publication record and conference presentations attest to his expertise in advancing fire safety in construction.
