There are two national codes in Canada that affect the construction of homes and other properties: The National Fire Code of Canada 2020 (NFC) and the National Building Code of Canada 2020 (NBC).
The NFC was developed by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes and published by the National Research Council of Canada in 2022. The NFC is used in collaboration with the NBC to provide data-based guidelines to prevent building damage, injury, or loss of life due to improperly installed structures or lack of fire safety preparedness.
These national codes set out technical requirements for:
- activities related to the construction, use or demolition of buildings and facilities
- the condition of specific elements of buildings and facilities
- the design or construction of specific elements of facilities related to certain hazards
- protection measures for the current or intended use of buildings
The Canadian Safety Codes for Spray Foam & Intumescent Coatings in Brief
Every Canadian provincial and territorial government has the authority to enact legislation based on the NFC 2020 and NBD 2020, either in full, in part, or with modifications to reflect local community needs. As relates to spray foam and intumescent coatings, contractors should also pay specific attention to CAN/ULC-9705.1 and CCMC 14036-R to ensure fire safety and building code compliancy as well as optimal safety in every build.
Medium-density polyurethane insulation that is applied as spray must be CAN/ULC-9705.1-compliant. In addition, such insulation requires a thermal barrier between itself and an open living space. One may use an intumescent coating to provide that thermal barrier (such as DC315), which in turn must be compliant with the Canadian CCMC 14036-R code (DC315 has full compliancy).
As a primary supplier of intumescent coatings to the Canadian construction and renovation industries, IFTI is compliant with the Canadian CCMC 14036-R code as well as CAN/ULC-9705.
Provinces and Territories of Canada that Use the National Building Code & National Fire Code
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Prince Edward Island
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Yukon Territory
Provinces that Publish their Own Codes Based on the National Codes
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Quebec
It’s important to use products and techniques that are up-to-code on every part of a new build or renovation. Remember: Intumescent coatings are not the same as fire retardant paint! Also, not every spray foam insulation is exactly the same, so read the manufacturer’s guidelines very carefully when dealing with different material types. You can trust DC315 to meet all of Canada’s national and regional building codes, as we at IFTI have carefully documented each Canadian compliance approval document and technical data sheet on our website.
Contact us for more information on DC315 and any other products on our site!