The full treatment with Buckland Timber – Why choose Nordtreat flame retardant protection?
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We are often asked about fire treatment, so we’re pleased to share that Buckland is working with Nordtreat to add a new product line to our range. This means as a Buckland Timber customer, you can now add Nordtreat’s NORFLAM® flame retardant protection to your timber structure while maintaining the aesthetics and results you’re used to.
Buckland has been trained for application by Nordtreat and is registered with them as an approved supplier for application, but what does this mean for you and why might you choose to use Nordtreat?
As ever, we’re always looking to answer your questions, so we’ve covered some of the things you might want to know for your next project…
Why does this matter to me?
You’re rightly used to getting the best timber products and services from us. As you place your trust in Buckland Timber, you know we’re continually pushing forward on your behalf to make sure this is always true. You’ll be reassured to know this extends to the industry partnerships we forge, making sure you benefit from the best in technological and manufacturing developments. We’re adamant working with us means you’ll stay ahead of the curve.
This is why we’re pleased to share this significant development as a helpful addition to our turnkey service.
Achieving the required surface application and curing conditions on site can be difficult as you are at the mercy of the British weather. to help mitigate this risk we have developed a procedure to carry out the application of fire treatment in our factory under controlled conditions.
As the UK’s biggest glulam manufacturer, we can include treatment applications within the glulam manufacturing process, which means should you want to specify this as part of your project we can take care of it during manufacture – making it one less thing you have to think about.
What is Nordtreat?
Nordtreat is a Finnish company providing sustainable, bio-based NORFLAM® flame retardant solutions for both wood and non-wood applications, particularly targeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly alternatives.
Nordtreat offers a range of flame-retardant products for the wood industry, including NT DECO (NORFLAM® W310), NORFLAM® W311, NORFLAM® W312 and NT THERMO BLACK (NORFLAM® W319). We’re focusing primarily on NT DECO here.
NT DECO is a pH-neutral, water-based product used to treat wood.
It is typically used for fire protection of structural timber products and cladding. Crucially, it is low in volatile organic compounds (VOC), so meets our commitment to be continually environmentally aware.
How does Nordtreat perform for fire safety and the environment?
We’re always looking for ways to improve our sustainable practices and Nordtreat combines the highest level of protection with low environmental impact.
First and foremost, NT DECO achieves Euroclass B-s1, d0 protection (EN13501-01).
What does this mean?
In real terms, this means you’ll be building with treated glulam that, in the event of a fire, will contribute very little to combustion (B), offering little or no smoke emissions (s1) and giving off no burning droplets (d0).
Alongside this, NT DECO won’t compromise your environmental considerations and targets. Low-VOCs mean you’ll be using an A+/M1 emission class product, the industry’s best standard across Europe. NT DECO treated timber is Indoor Air Comfort® Certified, BREEAM classified and LEED v4 compliant. As fire treatments go, Nordtreat is a sustainable choice.
NT DECO is suitable for exterior use, so you don’t have to choose between the best safety or performance. When used for exterior wood structures, maintenance with the same product needs to be done to upkeep the fireclass. The maintenance interval typically ranges between 5 and 7 years depending on the local weathering conditions.
Fire retardancy certifications are wood species specific and it’s important to note that Nordtreat has certifications for a wide range of products including spruce CLT and cladding. Please check with us on available certifications for your specific project.
Spraying Nordtreat onto European Larch glulam
Do we have to compromise on aesthetics?
We don’t think so! Any project will involve decisions which will affect looks or design, it’s about finding what is important to you.
NT DECO offers a massive range of tones and shades of treatment, which are suitable for interior and exterior use. So don’t worry… you won’t have to compromise on design or quality to achieve the look you want.
(You can see the range of Nordic Hues Tone Collection on the Nordtreat website).
Now that we’ve addressed the visual aspects, let’s consider how Nordtreat might affect your project timeline.
Does using Nordtreat increase production time?
We try to minimise the impact on the project workflow, but yes it will affect production time. Spraying usually takes a couple of days, depending on the size of your beams, and we plan for a three-week drying time.
This is slightly dependent on the time of year, as it can be more difficult to achieve the conditions needed for paint to cure in winter.
Planning is key, which is why we work with you to thoroughly establish your needs from the start. If you were to decide to add treatment at the manufacturing stage, there would be an increase in lead time.
Of course, as with all projects we’ll work through this together, though if we’re managing larger parts of the project phases, we’ll factor it all into the planning to minimise any delay.
Beams and CLT with Nordtreat NT deco clear curing
Glulam curves laid out ready to be sprayed with Nordtreat
Will Nordtreat impact the cost of our project?
There is a cost attached to treating your glulam with Nordtreat.
To help, you can plan for the treatment cost with this rule of thumb – for smaller jobs of around 150m2, you can plan for a cost of around £50 per m2. As the job size increases, the price drops, falling to around £35 per m2.
Rest assured, we’ll be as clear and transparent as we always are when we provide you with your detailed costings.
What are the advantages of using Nordtreat?
We are pleased to be able to offer this to our customers as part of our manufacturing process and we’re excited about what this means for you.
First, you are getting the best in fire protection performance. That’s the ‘sleep easy at night’ base covered. You also know you’re combining this with an environmentally friendly solution – remember, Nordtreat is non-toxic and emission-free.
It works sympathetically with your timber, as there’s no change to its structural properties. You can choose from a wide range of colours and will help to protect glulam used externally as it is suitable for this use. Finally, it takes away the hassle of having to apply to your structure on site – no mess, and if something needs to be fixed on-site, it is quick and easy to repair.
And what about drawbacks and other considerations?
Of course, any product decision you make needs to be right for you.
If Nordtreat is your choice, we recommend planning for this from the beginning to minimise the impact on the programme and optimise drying time. We can then tailor the project planning to support other elements of your work.
Cost and time are a factor, so it is worth considering as you draw up your plans. It’s also worth mentioning that NT DECO can’t be used with any other finishes – although as we’ve already mentioned there is a wide range of colours available.
And finally, we’re aware that some staining can occur if it sits in direct contact with galvanised steel. The good thing is we know this and can plan to avoid painting any areas touching steel elements of your design.
Fire treatment is a rapidly evolving part of our industry, and it is developing all the time. We want to provide our customers with the best choice and support that we can, so we’re excited about this new one, particularly as it ticks those all-important design and performance boxes.
That being said, we’re not fire experts! If you’d like to know more about Nordtreat, or if you have any questions about any other elements of glulam design, manufacture and installation, do get in touch with the team who will be most happy to help.