fireproof my ceilings

cmonthedons

argh. planning a loft conversion and building control are insisting i upgrade the downstairs lath/plaster ceilings for fire protection.
has anybody done this ?, whats the best way ? whats it likely to cost ?
thanx

m_13

These things are sent to try you!

Probably the cheapest option is to board the ceilings with fire retardant board. It's called 'fireproof board' and there are loads of different brands. It's a type of plasterboard so you can either tape and fill the joins and then paint or have it skimmed. If you are doing it yourself I recommend you hire a plasterboard lifter as those big sheets are difficult to handle once they are above your head!

I'd recommend you go to a builder's merchant, tell them your ceiling sizes and get them to price it up for you.

phill99

Ordinary plaster board (12.5mm) has a burn time of 15 mins. If you double that then you get a 30min burn time resistance which is oftenn the norm. There are fire resistant boards available but these are expensive and often unnecessary. You need to ask Building Control what level of fire resistance they require.

esson1

I used the fireproof sheets
They are 8ftx 4 ft
I cut them into strips and put them between the joists in the roofspace Easier and cheaper than double boarding and skimming
Building control were happy with this

jason_s_2

In most cases now its the firecheck board (the red coloured board) that has to be used in conversions. And around steel beams it has to be double boarded.

cmonthedons

thanks for the suggs, how about fireproof paint is this available to joe public.