FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY
CLASS 1 MAGPLY BOARDS WITHSTAND REAL LIFE FIRE TEST ON SURREY HOME
FIRE-RESISTANT QUALITIES OF MAGPLY BOARDS SAVE THE DAY
A potentially catastrophic blaze , which consumed the garage adjoining a £ 1M house in rural Surrey , was stopped in its tracks thanks to the property ’ s Structurally Insulated Panel ( SIP ) construction being sheathed in Class 1 certified Magply boards as the substrate panel for the proprietary render system .
Although the emergency services were quick to attend the fire , which happened in September , it had taken sufficient hold that the timber framed double garage was almost completely destroyed with just some sections of the frame still standing . However , the gable end to the house which features a relatively thin , weatherproof finish of the silica-based K-Rend suffered only surface damage .
Remarkably , although areas of the render had spalled off , the 12mm Magply boards underneath had not even charred while they had fully protected the SIPs structure beneath : a fact borne out by the system supplier , Glosford SIPs , which took core samples to confirm the continued integrity of the insulated sandwich panels which are faced by OSB .
The Contracts Manager for Fullers Plastering , James Corlett , commented : “ The fire-resistant qualities of the Magply boards saved the day . We had utilised Magply as a render-backer on a number of projects before being awarded the contract to apply K-Rend to the half dozen homes here , and have always been very pleased with the performance . It is an easy board to cut and fix , while we can now definitely confirm to clients that it fully complies with the fire requirements for domestic and commercial buildings .”
The home ’ s owner confirmed : “ The Magply boards stood up extremely well : although the K-Rend which took the full brunt of the heat cannot be easily removed . So though the Magply base boards did an absolutely first-class job they are going to be replaced as a precaution before the gable end wall is rerendered and we hope the repairs will only take eight weeks to complete – mainly down to the lead time for a couple of replacement windows to be delivered .”
Fullers Plastering is based in nearby Brighton and is an approved applicator for a variety of render systems , whose manufacturers correspondingly recognise Magply as being a suitable substrate or carrier . The K-Rend base coat is sprayed at a 4mm thickness and given a notched finish before the reinforcement mesh is set in . Then a second layer is applied and given a sponge finish before being left to cure for 14 days . This is then primed and given a TC 15 , 1.5mm grain size K-Rend topcoat .
Despite offering good adhesion for the decorative render system , Magply boards are very moisture resistant thanks to their modified MOS formulation that also represents an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plywood or OSB sheets . The production process keeps the chlorine content to just 0.01 %, enhancing long term durability , while Magply boards carry a variety of internationally recognised accreditations . Accordingly , they are widely specified as part of the build-up for cladding systems on high rise properties , as well as pattress boards to carry bathroom or kitchen fittings for the fit-out .
TEL : 01621 776252 EMAIL : john @ magply . co . uk WEB : www . magply . co . uk
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