Does emulsion paint offer any fire protection or will i need to use fireproof paint on my ceilings ?

Question

for building regulations

Answer 1

The short answer is no. The ceiling, unless a cowboy installed it, will have complied with the Building Regs in force at the time. If you used a flammable paint it would not change the situation, although I wouldn't advise it.

Emulsion paint is not flammable so it would be fine.

Answer 2

paint will not give you a fire rating at all. There is no fire proof paint. There  is a paint that offers fire rating but it is very expensive but usually is used on steel etc . never heard of a paint system for a ceiling. Normally the ceiling system  should have it, if it was required as the building process.

Answer 3

yes it does,when you paint with emulsion it protects for 3hrs longer thn normal paint,i know this as i am a fire protection officer for a large diy company.

Answer 4

No - the fire integrity of the ceiling is rated by the thickness of the construction and the facings used eg plasterboard (usually) - amongst other factors like the type of structure and the decking above (if it is a floor). You can get intumescent paint which is ideal for protecting steelwork (which doesn't burn but can collapse in a fire) but is very expensive - basically it foams and provides and insulated protection when exposed to heat. You may need to consider a fire retardant varnish if you have a wooden ceiling for example, but otherwise you should be fine.

The choice of paint finish will affect surface spead of flame (which is why you never paint polystyrene ceiling tiles with oil based paint for example as it can allow a fire to spread like, er, wild fire). Emulsion paint is usually Class 0 or Class 1 so not a problem. You should look at Approved Document B (find it on-line) if you need more explanation.

Answer 5

are you planning to have a fire in your house, you can use normal paint.