Real Estate Update

[bosco659]

Perhaps a bit off topic but hopefully someone can offer some advice. I am planning to insulate my 2 car, detached garage with spray foam. It’s expensive but I think it will allow me to get 4 seasons use out of it. The people who are quoting the job offer two different opinions on whether I need to apply a fire retardant paint on the foam surface. I plan to cover the walls with some sort of covering so thats not the concern. I will be spraying the underside of my roof and that’s what I need to make the decision on. Paint or no paint. The whole project is costly already and application of paint adds another $1500 to the bill. Any thoughts? The foam product being applied is soya based if tgat makes a difference. Thanks!

Btw this is @MaxPete ’s fault. If he didn’t build his fancy shop and make me jealous, I would probably be in my garage with a winter coat and hat this winter.

 

[Jim]

Latex paint is non-flammable. You can also buy fire retardant additives for it pretty reasonable...
Jus' sayin'....

 

[bosco659]

Latex paint is non-flammable. You can also buy fire retardant additives for it pretty reasonable...
Jus' sayin'....

Thanks Jim. Wonder is it’s really necessary though. Only source of a spark could be my welder but I only use that in an area of the garage that has a plywood ceiling and most of the time I’d be using it outside.

 

[Jim]

Wonder is it’s really necessary though.

That's between you and your insurance company.

 

[Jim]

Should have added.... no, I personally don't think it's necessary.... and likely wouldn't spring for it. Your insurance co. might have different ideas though. Best look into that before you decide.

 

[MaxPete]

Perhaps its the engineer in me, but, notwithstanding Jim's view,....I would go for the fireproof paint.

If something bad happens, like say, you swap over to British or Italian bikes and, say....an electrical fire occurs (who could imagine that? ), you won't be standing there saying, "Boy, too bad about my garage, house and all my stuff - but at least I saved that $1500 on the fire-resistant paint".

.....but like I said, that probably just the engineer talkin'.

Pete

PS - so sorry about prompting you into this garage project Vic.

I feel just awful.

 

[Wingedwheel]

After being in the industry for 40 years I’d just like to say if the building is gonna burn nothing will stop it or slow it down. I’ve seen steel buildings burn.Personally I don’t think it’s worth the cost and effort, you can buy a lot of FE’s for $1500.
Just my 02

 

[46th Georgia]

After being in the industry for 40 years I’d just like to say if the building is gonna burn nothing will stop it or slow it down. I’ve seen steel buildings burn.Personally I don’t think it’s worth the cost and effort, you can buy a lot of FE’s for $1500.
Just my 02

Agree. A good dose of common sense and good safe practices (not that either of those apply to me) should keep everybody as safe as possible.

 

[MaxPete]

Agree. A good dose of common sense and good safe practices (not that either of those apply to me) should keep everybody as safe as possible.

Very true 46th - but Vic rides motorcycles so...you know....safety may not be be too far up the list....

...just sayin'....

 

[Wingedwheel]

Just remember, safety guidelines are set up for the stupidest SOB on the job. Don’t be that guy.

 

[gggGary]

I've had a time or three in the garage when I was splitting bricks about fire spread.
Just saying it's a shop, things happen.
An airless sprayer and 5 gallons of latex will set you back what a couple hundred?
A bright white ceiling has lighting payback also.

 

[Oldschool]

That's between you and your insurance company.

Years ago I applied urethane costings, and it was universally required to be painted for insurance purposes. But that was in the early 70s, so consider that. The biggest reason for covering was to keep sunlight (UV) from deteriorating the insulation. With no windows or doors open often, probably just some discoloration happening over time. Just looks a bit rough.

 

[gggGary]

Take some outside, hang it up, touch it with the flame from a propane torch THEN decide.
Flaming dripping plastic might get your attention.

 

[Oldschool]

Years ago I applied urethane costings, and it was universally required to be painted for insurance purposes. But that was in the early 70s, so consider that. The biggest reason for covering was to keep sunlight (UV) from deteriorating the insulation. With no windows or doors open often, probably just some discoloration happening over time. Just looks a bit rough.

Checked online for polyurethane closed cell insulation and it can now be a Class A fire rating. That means that it generally won't support combustion on its own. I don't know what your supplier uses, so it may be rated differently. And the insurance company may still not cover it, or at least demand that it is properly covered: they like their higher rates we know.

 

[Wingedwheel]

Most fires start down low, the roof never catches first and if a wall burns out the roofs coming down anyway. Gary’s point about a white ceiling is totally correct though and unless you fill the rafters with(wait for it) more combustibles it will help with the lighting.

 

[46th Georgia]

Take some outside, hang it up, touch it with the flame from a propane torch THEN decide.
Flaming dripping plastic might get your attention.

Good point. Being a former racer, I bitched about the fact that we couldn't remove the headliners, (melting plastic) you would think that I would have realized that. Thanks for slappin' some sense back in my head.

 

[bosco659]

A bit of progress (I hope). The manufacturer of the foam is calling me in the morning to explain what should and / or must ge done in my particular application. I’ll post my findings.

 

[bosco659]

What I learned today about spray foam. I’m told I should cover the foam with a thermal barrier. When pressed on why other manufacturers don’t require this, the territory manager (of foam supplier) said he needed to speak to a higher level about it. He got back to me saying yes it must be covered.

Did some on line research. The stuff doesn’t burn on its own. What?? Example was if you hold a torch up to it, it will burn. Remove the flame and the fire goes out. I think while burning, the sticky mess occurs.

What to do? I think I’ll have to bend over and get the unprotected parts sprayed. Damn, more money

 

[Grimly]

Yeah, ok, the stuff itself isn't a flame spreader but it burns when a flame is on it.
The garage underneath will provide that flame.

 

[bosco659]

Well I’ve had several quotes now. 2/5 say thermal barrier isn’t needed. Last guy who quoted said the fire retardant coating costs more than the foam. I’m going to dry wall or cover the walls for sure. I’m going to try to source some fire retardant paint next week. The garage doors will be foamed too and I will spray them with some sort of paint for sure. For the underside of the roof I’ll see if I can get someone to slap on some plywood or drywall. I don’t think I can “afford” to do the foam and paint right now. Together, the bill will be north of $11K