Products marketed as thermal barriers must meet strict regulations set out by the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standard NFPA 275. According to the International Building Code Section 2603.4, all plastics (including spray polyurethane foam insulation, or SPF) installed in the building envelope require an additional thermal barrier to provide an incombustible layer between the foam and the interior of the building. This requirement can be met with the use of an intumescent paint, but not a generic fire-retardant paint. Fire-retardant paint is normally designed for use on steel, wood, and other non-plastic flammable building materials.
Section 2603.4 also allows the use of other protective coverings that are tested in accordance with Section 2603.9. DC315 has completed and passed NFPA 286 testing over all major foam manufacturers blends of foam and meets the requirements of chapter 26 of the building code, specifically 2603.4 & 2603.9. Compliance as an alternative thermal barrier is documented on our ICC-ESR 3702, which lists all assemblies tested with DC315 and confirms that coated foam plastic may be left as an interior finish without the need to cover with gypsum board or NFPA 275 thermal barrier.
SPF is used regularly as high performing insulation and is manufactured in two types: closed-cell and open-cell polyurethane,. Though some types of spray foam have been specially formulated to provide some fire-resistant properties, these formulations deal primarily with flammability and smoke development, so they still require 15-minute thermal barrier protection. DC315 is a fully tested and approved intumescent coating that is FM Approved, 3rd party tested and listed, that meets building codes requiring a 15-minute thermal barrier to be installed over polyurethane spray foam. DC315 is the only intumescent coating available for SPF that is evaluated and listed with ICC-ES, verified by our ICC-ES-3702 evaluation report.
A 15-minute thermal barrier is a protective layer that will provide at least 15 minutes of protection to underlying combustible layers, allowing enough time for occupants to egress out of the building in the worst-case scenario of a fire. The 15-minute thermal barrier required to cover spray foam insulation can be met with the installation of a standard ½-inch gypsum dry wall board or with the application of a suitable intumescent coating that has undergone strict NFPA testing. The thicker the application of intumescent coating, the longer the fire-resistant period. IFTI provides a variety of specially formulated intumescent coating products for use on spray foam, wood, gypsum, cables, and fabric.
DC315 meets IBC/IRC codes in the USA and NBCC codes in Canada, as well as many international building code requirements. The formula has been rigorously tested to determine the appropriate paint thickness to provide 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes of fire-resistant protection, and can be applied in one coat up to 24 mils thick. Contact us for application advice!
Failure to comply with building code regulations can result in lawsuits against non-compliant contractors—but more importantly, failure to install proper thermal barriers around spray foam insulation leaves property owners at higher risk of fire. If you aren’t already using an intumescent coating on spray foam insulation, like IFTI’s DC315, you need to start…and let us Paint to Protect together.
If you have questions about which of our intumescent coatings will work best with your own building materials and properties, please do get in touch. Our knowledgeable staff is always happy to discuss the finer details of the DC315 intumescent coating series and other products.