![[Fire Treatment]](../images/title-firetreatment.gif)
The fire retardant treatment of
cedar shakes and shingles begins
with moisture removal. Large dry
kilns are used to heat pallets
of shingles destined for treatment.
The heat evaporates any water droplets
hidden within the inner cells of
the wood fibers. The process removes
just enough moisture so that the
fire retardant chemicals, which
later will protect the shingles,
can penetrate the product.
Once the pallets of cedar shingles
have reached the correct moisture
content, FSR's chemical technicians
(with decades of experience treating
wood) place the shakes and shingles
into a large autoclave (like a
large pressure tank).
The autoclave
is then filled to capacity with
our own specially-designed fire
retardant as the products are completely
submerged in the chemical. Next,
the autoclave is pressurized. This
process exposes the product and
chemical with such an extreme
force, sometimes nearing
up to 150 PSI that the fire retardant
chemicals are injected into the
inner most cells of the wood, completely saturating
the shingles from the surface of
the product to the inner core.
FSR's chemical technicians monitor each step
of the process to ensure that that all the material retains
enough chemical to meet the full requirements of the
UL, ASTM, UBC, ICBO, NFPA and FSR treatment standards.
Additionally, this process is monitored periodically
through independent organizations such as QAI Laboratories,
Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, and FSR Quality Inspection
Staff.
The final stage is the curing - designed to harden and bond the fire
retardant chemicals that now fill the thousands of wood cells, within the shingles.
A specially-designed ingredient in the fire retardant chemical hardens when
exposed to the heat, permanently bonding the retardant to the wood fibers.
How it Works
FSR specially formulated fire retardant chemicals
represent an evolution of almost fifty years of fire
retardant chemicals sold in the USA.
When heat is introduced to the material there is a chain
reaction with the fire retardant chemicals:
- Carbon charring on the surface.
- creates a barrier protecting
the inner fibers of the wood as
- the release of nitrogen gasses
eliminate oxygen needed to support flame
- while the water vapors resist
the spread of fire
- dramatically reducing the ignition properties
of the wood fibers.
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Preservative Properties
Once the product is thermally locked
into the cells of the wood, the cedar's natural resins
are trapped inside the shingles - allowing the product
to remain flexible and adhere to its original treatment
profile.
FSR's chemicals have UV inhibitors.
Filling the wood fibers creates a water resistant barrier
that also aids in the life of the shingle.
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