Wall cladding measures often impose serious restrictions on the selection of suitable materials. Depending on the place of use of the finish, high requirements may be imposed on the decorativeness, moisture resistance and environmental safety of the coating. The fire resistance of the cladding does not always come to the fore, but this quality should be taken into account for safety reasons. Today, non-combustible materials for decoration are available in different formats and sizes, so you can make the best choice for any room.
Fire resistant panels
This is an extensive group of facing coatings that are resistant to fire and elevated temperatures. The features of such panels include the absence of harmful fumes in direct contact with the flame. In other words, during a fire, a room with such a finish not only prevents the spread of fire, but also does not pose a threat of toxic poisoning. From the point of view of other consumer qualities, non-combustible material for walls in the form of panels is quite diverse. In this category, you can find sheets with an attractive exterior finish based on laminated coatings, and waterproof boards, as well as material with increased mechanical resistance. The combination of these properties is determined by the specific composition of the panel, so their varieties should be considered separately.
Types of non-combustible panels
The most popular are calcium silicate sheets. This material is non-toxic, environmentally neutral, not afraid of moisture and flexible enough during installation. That is, calcium-silicate panels can quite easily decorate the surface of the walls of a residential building, without fear of the spread of fire. If the question is what non-combustible materials are better suited for commercial and public facilities, then you should turn to glass-magnesite plates. This is a modification of calcium silicate filler, which provides higher performance. In particular, glass-magnesite-based panels are characterized by increased rigidity and strength, but at the same time they remain resistant to fire. The stiffness of the panels gives the fiberglass reinforcement with a double structure.
Drywall
Another kind of non-combustible panels, quite well-known in the circles of professionals, and among ordinary homeowners. True, in this case, it refers to the fire-resistant modification of drywall, since in standard versions it refers to a combustible finish. Refractory boards of this type can withstand up to 20 minutes of direct contact with the flame. This indicator is far from record values and even to the average it is difficult to attribute it, but this drawback is offset by a low price. The fact is that non-combustible materials on the same silicate-calcium basis are calculated for compliance with high fire safety requirements, and therefore are more expensive. In the case of drywall, you can count on getting an inexpensive, but externally attractive coating that has basic fire protection.
Non-combustible wallpaper
As in the case of gypsum-based panels, fire-resistant versions are also found in families of traditional finishing materials. In particular, the latest modifications of fiberglass wallpaper can be considered as a complete fire retardant coating with a decorative effect. The basis of the material manufacturers lay special threads made from natural raw materials. The composition typically includes silica sand, which forms a fiberglass structure. The features that non-combustible materials of this type have are low absorption capacity. This means that during operation, the coating can be washed with water and foam. As for other properties, they fully comply with the requirements for modern materials - both in a decorative sense and in terms of resistance to mechanical damage and natural deformation.
Non-combustible fabric materials
Decorating in the form of fabric has been used by designers for several decades, but today this material is separately in the general assortment and is in demand only by connoisseurs of the original texture on the walls. One way or another, in this family you can find interesting solutions both in terms of decorative qualities and in terms of providing protection from fire. Manufacturers initially form the fabric base according to traditional technologies, after which they process the material with fire-retardant solutions. The fibers themselves, from which fabric non-combustible fabric materials are made, are polyester substances that help maintain the original structure of the fabric over many years of operation. By the way, this decoration is used not only in the wall cladding of premises, but is also widely used in the decoration of transport interiors.
Mineral wool
It happens that the use of materials with refractory qualities for one reason or another does not justify itself. In such situations, the output becomes a separate coating device. If you correctly combine combustible and non-combustible materials in one finish, it is quite realistic to achieve the necessary qualities in the form of lack of toxicity, smoke formation and the risk of ignition in case of fire. Mineral wool can become an auxiliary component as one of the most common insulators with refractory qualities. The advantages of this solution include the ability to provide other useful properties - for example, heat and sound insulation effect.
Conclusion
Competent protection against the spread of fire is still not limited to just wall decoration. Relevant fire resistance requirements should also be imposed on floor coverings, the wooden and synthetic base of which also constitutes a fire hazard. In this regard, it is worth noting that many non - combustible materials for wall decoration are also suitable for decorating other surfaces. Some of the panels, for example, have a universal purpose. Of course, it is not always possible in such a way to withstand the intended stylistic effect in the interior design, but the integrity of the refractory finish is a serious help, from the point of view of fire safety. But combined options from several types of fire retardant coatings can become no less worthy of protection provided that quality installation is carried out.