Fire Rated Board and Plywood – Applications and Performance to Save Lives and Property

Despite timber being classified as a combustible construction material, it can perform exceptionally well when treated properly for fire resistance. Being an organic product, plywood cannot be made completely fire-proof, but its’ resistance to ignition, flame penetration and the surface spread of flame can certainly be improved with proper treatments. Fire retardant panel products are specified in a wide range of end-use applications such as wall linings, ceilings, display panels and partitions.

Wood in internal applications is more popular than ever, but standard-engineered wood products can present a major safety risk for the occupants, if the right material isn’t applied to the application at hand. Where designers have to apply an attractive interior wood finish in commercial applications, fire-rated products are required by building codes in Australia. The low-flammability nature of the fire rated boards and fire rated plywood reduces the chances of a spark or ignition, while allowing enough time for the building occupants to escape a fire incident. The fire rated products can resist the spread of fire by half an hour, and even more. These products are rated for fire retarding properties and resist flammability, minimising loss to life and property in offices and residences in sudden fire accidents. The products’ fire resistant properties make them a popular choice for architects while designing offices and residential spaces. It is important to research what the different ratings mean, before choosing the right fire rated, or fire-retardant product, for your particular project – checking in with the relevant codes and standards in doing so.

Multiple uses for Fire rated board and fire rated plywood

Fire retardant properties of plywood and particleboards play a crucial role in the propagation of fire at the initial stage. For certain uses, such as in railway coach construction and shipbuilding, fire rated plywood is required. You can find FR particleboard lining the hallways of schools, hospitals, theatres, auditoriums and offices, malls and other places with high footfall. Jet bridges at most airports use FR particle boards.

Staying composed even when completely burnt out

Fire rated boards and fire rated plywood, when manufactured by a quality, trusted source - such as Matilda Veneer - can stay composed in structure even if the plywood is entirely burnt out. The company has fire rated wooden products that are built so that flames would take over 50 minutes to penetrate through the sheet, allowing precious time in the case of an emergency fire incident. Moreover, FR plywood and boards from Matilda Veneer are treated to enhance their ability to generate a substantially low amount of smoke and emission. So, the emission of smoke and toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide is greatly reduced. Reducing smoke propagation is even more important in safety-critical applications such as escape passages and public buildings.

FR grade plywood is manufactured by the experts to make them more resistant to fire and extreme weather conditions. Fire rated boards and plywood are thus better suited to environments where fire or heat element activities are regularly undertaken, such as restaurants, but the water exposure is also high. Before selecting the right board, plywood, or product for your application, it’s important to speak to an expert who can advise you about the best fit for all your project requirements, including those safety elements. The team at Matilda Veneer are always happy to assist and can provide information on the technical and safety specifications of each of their products.

Carrying out fire treatment in controlled and standard conditions

Fire treatment for timber at Matilda Veneer is carried out under controlled conditions in modern industrial treatment plants within the company’s treatment centre. Each treatment process involves a high-pressure impregnation of the fire retardant solution, followed by kiln drying to a specific level of moisture content in the timber. To learn more about the specifications and ratings, be sure to enquire with their team.

Best timber for use in the most demanding applications

Matilda Veneer offers the best quality fire-rated plywood and fire-rated boards backed by strong protective properties that building designers can use for their various internal and external applications. Matilda Veneer’s FR panels and sheets are engineered for exceptional strength and machinability, and are intended for use in some of the most demanding applications. Instead of using a fire-retardant coating that could potentially be sanded or machined off, Matilda Veneer’s fire rated boards and fire rated plywood are well-treated to resist fire, and fire-resistant additive is blended with the wood fibre itself to ensure that the product has flame retardant properties. Matilda Veneer’s products are certified for their fire retardant properties, providing designers with guaranteed performance properties. Before selecting a product for your next project or application, it is important to review the specification and safety information for the product, as that will ascertain the suitability for your application. This can be found on the Matilda Veneer website for each product, can also be provided by speaking to a team member – they are always happy to help.

A huge array of fire rated timber products

Matilda Veneer has a huge array of fire rated boards and fire rated plywood that have delivered excellent performance in flame resistance tests. The products are lightweight yet sustainable because of their composition. During manufacturing, every layer of veneer is treated. The quality of the faces, lightness and finishes, and fire retardant characteristics make Matilda Veneer’s FR rated products an excellent choice for a wide variety of jobs.

Offering solutions to your specific project needs

Matilda Veneer includes a variety of fire-rated products that can adapt to the demands of construction in humid conditions. A variety of formats are available to suit any type of project. The company offers additional remedies, expert advice and solutions to meet with your any project’s specific requirements.

Matilda Veneer provides the best quality fire rated plywood and fire rated boards, fireply X, FR hoop pine, enhanced veneer and many more products in timber veneer and plywood, to support the varying needs of builders, designers and manufacturers throughout Australia. It has the capabilities to deliver fire rated timber products from coast-to-coast, all over the country. Talk to the team about the best fit for your next project.

If you are looking for trendy or classic decorative wooden surfaces that deliver the highest standards in environmental performance, Matilda Veneer has the right solutions for all your projects.