Applications

CONTEGO’s Reactive Fireproofing Barrier (RFB) is a latex, water-based intumescent coating that can be applied to virtually any type of building material and provides up to three hours protection (on certain steel applications and concrete). When exposed to high heat or fire, CONTEGO’s reactive fire barrier thin film coating swells or “intumesces” forming a tough char barrier that stops the fire by blocking access to the fuel it needs to grow.

Once the fire has been extinguished, extensive testing by certified laboratories clearly shows the resulting foam layer actually minimizes the damage to the substrate. Often the substrate may still be useable. In many instances, the protective char can be scraped off, revealing that the underlying substrate is still sound, and repair can be achieved at a fraction of the cost.

It’s simple… No Fuel – No Fire!

Request a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Cross section of how contego protects the substrate.

During a fire, Contego forms a thick char barrier that protects substrates from heat and fire.

Wood or Wood By-Products

Concrete

Drywall

Structural Steel

Aluminum

Polyurethane Insulation

Wood or Wood By-Products

Fire Retardant Paint for Wood, Dimensional Lumber and Engineered Wood Products, shown here on a house

Fire Retardant/Resistant Coatings for Wood, Dimensional Lumber and Engineered Wood Products

There are many factors to consider when choosing the type of lumber to use for your projects. Building codes from one jurisdiction to the next can be dramatically different. Regardless of the lumber you choose, be it dimensional lumber, or engineered lumber products such as plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), laminated strand lumber (LSL), particle board, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) , or any other type of manufactured wood product, Contego is the best fire protective coating for wood and to protect your investment.

In addition to the cost saving benefits of using Contego, it’s important to note its superiority over other intumescent products for wood. Contego provides unmatched fire protection and thermal resistance. In a test done by Underwriters Laboratories, the test results showed that Contego gets better flame spread and smoke production results on Douglas fir plywood than other intumescent’s get on steel. Contego is super thin, paper smooth and wonderfully aesthetic. Contego has a pleasant scent, zero VOC’s, and is completely non-toxic, both in the can and during a burn.

According to our test results from leading independent fire testing laboratories, top coating Contego doesn’t hurt our fire resistance. Forget about rescheduling other trades during your project. Contego has no health risks and is completely inoffensive. Take any project you’ve already done in wood and then let us show you what it would have been like had you used Contego. It doesn’t matter what product you used, you will find Contego is lighter, thinner, and smoother. Best of all, you’ll see how much time, labor and overall cost you would have saved. Once your project is underway, Contego makes changes and work-arounds a snap. Ask for a free information kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire resistant coatings.

Ask for a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Concrete

Concrete has certain advantages over other building materials because of its inherent fire-resistive properties. However, it is still important to use a protective fire barrier on concrete to negate the effects of heat produced by a fire.

Concrete must still be able to withstand loads without collapse even though the rise in temperature causes a decrease in the strength and amount of elasticity for concrete and steel reinforcement. Fully developed fires cause expansion of structural components such as rebar.

Another risk is that the rise in temperature causes the free water in concrete to change from a liquid to highly pressurized steam. Essentially, the water trapped inside acts like millions of tiny kernels of popcorn that can explode with enormous energy. This change in state causes changes in the rate with which heat is transmitted from the surface into the interior of the concrete wall or concrete column. This can result in “spalling” or fractures in the material, triggering a collapse. In addition, the rate at which the strength decreases depends on the rate of increase in the temperature of the fire and the insulating properties of concrete.

This is why it is necessary to use Contego Reactive Fire Barrier Intumescent coatings. By applying this protective barrier, Contego controls the rise in temperature, thus protecting the structure from the rapid shift in temperature, which causes spalling and possible collapse. In the event of a fire, concrete protected by Contego is much more likely to retain its structural integrity, thus saving the expense of having to demolish and start from scratch.

View our concrete test data or request a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Contego Concrete Firebarrier Intumescent Paint Application

Drywall

Drywall/Gypsum wallboard (GWB) is an accepted fire barrier; however, it is also a huge fuel source for the first few minutes of exposure to a fire or even temperatures higher than 451 Fahrenheit. That’s because the paper fascia on gypsum wallboard, even fire rated GWB, is PAPER – paper coated with flammable paint. (Not only is it an enormous fuel source, it may also be toxic in a fire.) Once the paper burns off, the gypsum goes to work protecting the substrate; but initially, the painted paper fascia will flare and can wildly accelerate temperature rise and trigger flashover in adjoining rooms.

By using a standard GWB and applying a coating of Contego fire barrier intumescent coatings, you achieve superior drywall fire protection and approach the parameters of a “Type X” rating. A 20 mil DFT (dry film thickness) coat of Contego adds 55 minutes of burn time to any layer of GWB. Contego protects the paper fascia while maintaining a flame spread and smoke production rating of 0×0. To receive the “Type X” designation under ASTM C 36, a gypsum board product must be shown to achieve not less than a one-hour fire resistance rating for 5/8″ board or a 3/4-hour fire resistance rating for 1/2″ board applied in a single layer, when tested in accordance with the requirements of ASTM E 119, Methods of Fire Test of Building Constructions and Materials.

Contego is super thin, paper smooth and wonderfully aesthetic. Contego has a pleasant scent, zero VOC’s, and is completely non-toxic, both in the can and during a burn. Forget about rescheduling other trades during your project. Contego has no health risks and is completely inoffensive.

Ask for a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire resistant coatings.

View our drywall test data or request a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Structural Steel

Our largest application worldwide is fireproofing structural steel. Until Contego was developed, to fireproof steel required cellulosic materials, cementatious coatings, mastics, or other types of intumescent technology that are now obsolete by Contego’s standards. They were often thick, lumpy, ugly, foul smelling, expensive, and toxic. Applicators had to be specially trained and required to wear the “space suit”. The other types of intumescent coatings were messy, hard to clean up, required a difficult, exotic prep and top coating was problematic.

Take ANY project you have already done on steel and then let us show you what it would have been like had you used Contego. It doesn’t matter what product you have used to fireproof steel, you will find Contego is lighter, thinner, and smoother. Best of all, you will see how much time, labor and overall cost you would have saved. You can also forget about having to reschedule other trades during your project.

Ask for a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Aluminum

One of the most fascinating applications we have is protecting aluminum. Since most aluminum alloys melt in the vicinity of 1100-1200°F and moreover, begin to display significant reduction in tensile and yield strengths at temperatures well below this, protection of structural aluminum in the event of a fire is an important concern. Our ability to protect aluminum is nothing short of amazing. Independent testing shows better than 2 hours of protection on .250 aluminum columns with only 50 mils dry film thickness (DFT) of Contego.

Contego is super thin, paper smooth and wonderfully aesthetic. Contego has a pleasant scent, zero VOC’s, and is completely non-toxic, both in the can and during a burn. Contego has no health risks and is completely inoffensive. All these and many other reasons make Contego Intumescent the right product for protecting your aluminum structures.

View our aluminum test data or request a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation

As energy prices skyrocket, so does the demand for insulation and energy-saving techniques and products. Nothing beats spray polyurethane foam. Although a fast and economical way to insulate, spray polyurethane foam (SPF), like most other organic materials, is combustible. SPFs will, when ignited, burn rapidly and produce intense heat, dense smoke and gases which are irritating, flammable and/or toxic. As with other organic materials the most significant gas is usually carbon monoxide.

Whether you are using closed cell or open cell SPF, you need a thermal barrier that is easy to apply, has superior performance and fits in the budget.

When you are looking to fireproof polyurethane foam, Contego Intumescent Coatings are your solution.

Contego applies with spray equipment (Graco Mark V or comparable), is completely non-toxic and can be top coated with acrylic enamel for interior general use. Contego has a pleasant scent, zero VOC’s, and is completely non-toxic, both in the can and during a burn. Contego has no health risks and is completely inoffensive.

View our polyurethane test data or request a sample kit to learn more about how Contego is revolutionizing the world of fire-resistant coatings.

Applications

Wood or Wood By-Products

Concrete

Drywall

Structural Steel

Aluminum

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation

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Applications

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