Fire Safety in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Landlord Services has completed its most recent phase of an ongoing refurbishment programme for the renovation and improvement of its housing stock of around 27,000 homes.

At Gregory Court and Merridale Court, Landlord Services has specifically addressed the fire safety element of the redecoration of common access areas, recognising its obligations under the ‘duty of care’ requirements of the Building Regulations.

Current fire safety requirements for Class ‘0’ fire performance is obligatory on new build as defined in the Building Regulations for the surface lining of walls and ceilings in all areas where there is public access. Regulations for over-painting on existing coatings are covered by the ‘duty of care’ regulations.

Following a review of available fire retardant systems for mineral substrates and subsequent trials, Wolverhampton Landlord Services specified Keim Mineral Paints’ new MX fire retardant system.

The Keim MX system meets the requirements of BS476 parts 6 and 7 for fire propagation and surface spread of flame and the forthcoming new Euronorm European Fire Regulations.

Following surface preparation, the two coat system involves a base coat of Keim Fire Resisting Granital and a finishing coat of Keim MX glaze to upgrade the previously painted surfaces to Class ‘1’ and, to upgrade to Class ‘0’, requires a second FRG coat prior to the MX glaze finish.

Keim Mineral Paints are inherently incombustible being a microcrystalline silicate structure which is comparable to silica sand which simply does not burn. They do not support the spread of flame and give off no noxious emissions when subjected to fire. In addition Keim paints have been thoroughly tested by London Underground to meet their stringent requirements for fire prevention and toxic emissions and is widely specified by them for its fire retardant properties.

The MX glaze gives a gloss and durable finish offering excellent wear and graffiti resistance. It is available in over 250 standard shades or as a clear transparent finish. Keim Mineral Paints also offer exceptional long life performance, low odour, mould and algae resistance and are environmentally friendly.

The Keim MX system offers a simple and highly cost effective solution to provide excellent fire resistance with no toxic emissions whilst also retaining its role as a decorative graffiti resistant coating, which many intumescent or alternative systems do not. It sets new standards in fire protection.

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