A nearby wooden bungalow was refurbished and the insulation improved with Celotex a few years ago. I wonder if the occupants know that was the stuff on the outside of Grenfell tower that burns at high temperatures and gives off toxic fumes.
I have considered putting some Celotex in my attic and then covering it with thin plywood so that I could walk on it but I have rather gone off the idea, though if the house catches fire badly, I am unlikely to want to go in the attic.
Unlikely, since it wasnt.
In fact you are the only person who seems to know this.
Get some and put a blowtorch to it. Celotex insulation does not really burn.
The cladding, which is not used domestically, did.
Celotex on their website has documentation specifically warning users and designers to be aware of regulations concerning buildings 'with a storey height of over 18m'
They tested it as safe when used with cladding formed of mineral composites.
They did not test it with cladding formed of plastic foam sandwiched between thin aluminium or zinc sheets, that would bridge the fire stops.
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Where "not really" means that an external flame will make it burn, giving off a surprising amount of smoke, it will char and and the flame from the foam will sputter out after a few seconds when you take the blowtorch away ... maybe a big slab with lower surface:volume ratio performs better than tests on offcuts of an inch or two?
The last renovation work was visible, done to make the tower more presentable to the nearby nimby wealthy residents. The media have been directed to criticise this, taking the flak away from council failure specify install water tanks, install sprinklers, and perform regular maintenance.
Little to do with celotex.
Perhaps, there should be a contest to design heat resistant external stairwells, that could be retrofitted to old tower blocks. Celotex would probably be good for that.
Celotex or Celotex FR5000? The former is Class 1, the latter Class 0.
When I fitted Celotex in the loft here I reckoned that by the time a fire had gone through the plasterboard into the loft I'd either be out or dead. And that the Victorian rafters and joists would go up like the proverbial in any event.
"Not really" means that at atmospeheric oxygen levels an endothermic reaction happens. I.e. it does not burn, It decomposes under heat.
So, too, does plasterboard and fireproof board. In fact so too does pretty much anything,
Burning means an exothermic reaction that is self sustaining in air.
like aluminium polyethylene foam panels, giving off a surprising amount of smoke...
whatever was fitted to my house
Tried to burn the scraps. No go.
Hmm, its a tough one this. I suspect that the actually reason in this particular cases will turn out to be no blocking of the fire between flats and floors and a chimney effect resulting from free air flow. Its probably compounded by poor windows that either break or melt as well. There is a world of difference between non flammable and stuff that will burn at high temperatures, heck aluminium burns at high temperatures.
Maybe they should use the stuff they make the flat panels of toasters from. Brian
Unless you wish to reduce the area of what are already in many cases quite small rooms by fitting the insulation internally, the only option is to fit it outside. And any such insulation requires a facing of some sort just to protect it from the elements. It would be a very perverse person who required this cladding to be less attractive than the original concrete. To say it was merely to improve looks for nearby residents is nonsense, because any normal person will get pleasure out of living in a nice looking building over a tatty one. So it could be said to serve three purposes all at the same cost. Even more reasons not to penny pinch on it.
Brian Gaff brought next idea :
Mica?
While any such block should have two staircases, where would one actually put such a staircase - unless you sacrifice at least one of the flats on each floor? I saw a floor layout the other day, looked to me like any such staircase would be outside someone's window.
Yes I thought that too - perhaps Brian could confirm that's what he meant and where he expected it to be used. Bearing in mind that mica has next to no strength.
Reynobond PE is Class 0 as well....
Most of the flats around here have two or more staircases.
It a case of what the planning department think of cost v safety.
The question was, where would you put a second, retrofitted, staircase, on blocks like the one in question?
In message , at 17:50:04 on Sun, 18 Jun 2017, Tim Streater remarked:
You'd have to use one of the 1-bedroom flats on each floor, reducing the occupancy by about a tenth.
The criminal investigation will probably be completed before the public enquiry.
Read page 2 of the Sunday Times.
Polyisocyanurate is fire-resistant but burns at high temperatures emitting deadly toxins including hydrogen cyanide.
Which does not contradict what is in the Sunday Times article.
what the f*ck does the sunday times know?
even you dont know what 'burning' means
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