Archive

Harder intumescent coatings aren't always better

An assumption that harder intumescent coatings are better than pliable ones stops construction teams from optimizing material selection to save time and money.

The Red Bucket – Episode 27. Landmark projects in Canada (Feat. Pedro Escudero)

Three mysterious binders once forgotten in a Carboline headquarters closet are opened for the first time in decades. In this episode of The Red Bucket, Toby and guest Pedro Escudero explore a small sample of their contents: four past projects involving high-profile locations across Canada. And, Pedro reveals where tourists can get the best fish dinner in the country.

Ways to understand intumescent coating hardness

Language within some commercial intumescent coating specifications suggest that harder coatings are better. That isn't true. Truth aside, where one sits in the contract chain is a good indicator of how impactful they feel material hardness is to overall project success.

Shore D hardness is not a performance indicator for intumescent coatings

For decades, many intumescent coating specifications have ruled out the use of materials that measure less than 70 in Shore D durometer testing. Hardness is useful to know, but it has no influence at all on an intumescent coating’s performance in the event of a fire.

A durometer measures the hardness of a test specimen on a laboratory bench.

Shore D hardness doesn’t matter for intumescent coating performance

Learn the history, use, and misuse of Shore D hardness testing for intumescent coatings and its impact on construction today.