What sort of paint is this?

[ARWadsworth]

have never tried setting fire to paint and never looked on tins to see if it is flammable. Any ideas as to the type of paint? I cannot imagine a tin of paint catching fire.

Adam

[Weatherlawyer]

In my day they used to call it inflammable but I believe these days the preferred term is flammable. Do you suppose that UK DIY is the best place to discuss a police case that has not come to court yet?

British jurisprudence may not be that advanced but apparently our policemen are still wonderful, compared to say the Portuguese variety.

So I hear.

[diypaint]

any oil-based / solvent based paints are flammable - as they contain white spirit (or similar). Flammable = will catch fire when exposed to a naked flame.

Note that some products can auto-ignite - i.e. no flame needed! Check out teak-oil for example. You should always wash out rags that have been used to apply it.

[Don Spumey]

Probably cellulose car paint.

Don.

[ARWadsworth]

I am asking about the paint not discussing the court case. I want to know what paint is "inflammable". I never knew that paint was that dangerous.

Adam

[Dave]

From what I have heard, buy and spew were amazed at how quickly one of their stores went up in flames. I don't suppose it was anything to do with the vast array of paints and brush cleaners they had on the shelves.

Dave

[Don Spumey]

If you're referring to the one in Hull, it was a 'brand spanking' new building designed by idiots who neglected to include a sprinkler system!

Don.

[Peter Johnson]

The Leicester one was substantially destroyed by fire c1999 and was also nearly new and without a sprinkler system. I can imagine that the policy not to have them was on the basis that with any fire all the stock would be damaged by either fire, smoke or water so they might as well not try to save any of it especially if there was good insurance cover. The same could also apply to the structure - a complete replacement could be easier than checking on the integrity of any steel that might or might not have been damaged by heat. When the Leicester store was being rebuilt there was a demand from local residents for a sprinkler to be installed but I don't know if they got their way, and haven't bothered to check when I've been there.

[Don Spumey]

I would have thought that all their premises would have required a fire certificate under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 & to conform to that would have had to have sprinkler systems installed.

Then there's the 'can of worms' with regard to building & planning regulations (particularly with B&Q's past record concerning store/warehouse fires).

Don.