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Posted: Jan 25, 2011 04:55 PM	Fire proof paint over foam? Hi I live in NJ and am looking to have SPF installed in my attic. Most of the contractors I have interviewed are giving me different options. The latest contractor stated that do to new codes in NJ, spray foam my be covered with a fire retarding paint. Does anyone know if this is accurate for the state of NJ? Especially since it added 3K to his quote. Thanks
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: Jan 26, 2011 10:41 PM	Yes, this is accurate, but it's only on the gable end walls as the code currently reads. It's only constrained to the vertical walls with foam on it, and the underside of the roof doesn't require fire retardant paint. But how does this make any sense as the underside of the roof wil ignite quciker than the vertical walls, especially if there is a fire in the middle of the attic! This is what I've been fighting about since June 2009 and I'm still fighting it! The way the code reads, is you need to cover the gabelend walls with a 15 minute thermal barrier! That shouldn't be $3K, even in NJ. Jim
mason Posted: May 03, 2012 08:26 AM	I went online to read the New Jersey building codes. It appears they are using a version of the ICC 2009 codes. But, I could not find reference in the NJ residential code that Jim refers to. Jim can you direct me to the section you reference? I only saw reference to foam plastic in the NJ building code not the residential code and it is a direct copy and paste from the ICC codes which state that attics and crawl spaces used only for service of utilities can use an ignition barrier but inhabited spaces require a thermal barrier. It contains the standard caveat obtaining approval by fire testing of assemblies using the standard assembly fire tests.
brepko Posted: Feb 24, 2016 08:05 PM	I've sprayed 2 inches of closed cell foam on the ceiling of a lower garage and root cellar (both of which are separated by the main house by 10 inches of concrete and steel decking ceilings) and my code official says I need to spray intumescent coating on top of the closed cell foam. We did this to stop condensation from forming. Both the garage and root cellar have exterior doors in addition to concrete and steel separating them from the living conditioned space. Do I really have to do this or is my code official not understanding the intent of the code?

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Posted: Jan 25, 2011 04:55 PM

Fire proof paint over foam?

Hi

I live in NJ and am looking to have SPF installed in my attic. Most of the contractors I have interviewed are giving me different options. The latest contractor stated that do to new codes in NJ, spray foam my be covered with a fire retarding paint.

Does anyone know if this is accurate for the state of NJ? Especially since it added 3K to his quote.

Thanks

jimcoler

I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs.

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: Jan 26, 2011 10:41 PM

Yes, this is accurate, but it's only on the gable end walls as the code currently reads. It's only constrained to the vertical walls with foam on it, and the underside of the roof doesn't require fire retardant paint.

But how does this make any sense as the underside of the roof wil ignite quciker than the vertical walls, especially if there is a fire in the middle of the attic! This is what I've been fighting about since June 2009 and I'm still fighting it! The way the code reads, is you need to cover the gabelend walls with a 15 minute thermal barrier! That shouldn't be $3K, even in NJ.
Jim

mason

Posted: May 03, 2012 08:26 AM

I went online to read the New Jersey building codes. It appears they are using a version of the ICC 2009 codes. But, I could not find reference in the NJ residential code that Jim refers to.

Jim can you direct me to the section you reference? I only saw reference to foam plastic in the NJ building code not the residential code and it is a direct copy and paste from the ICC codes which state that attics and crawl spaces used only for service of utilities can use an ignition barrier but inhabited spaces require a thermal barrier. It contains the standard caveat obtaining approval by fire testing of assemblies using the standard assembly fire tests.

brepko

Posted: Feb 24, 2016 08:05 PM

I've sprayed 2 inches of closed cell foam on the ceiling of a lower garage and root cellar (both of which are separated by the main house by 10 inches of concrete and steel decking ceilings) and my code official says I need to spray intumescent coating on top of the closed cell foam. We did this to stop condensation from forming. Both the garage and root cellar have exterior doors in addition to concrete and steel separating them from the living conditioned space.

Do I really have to do this or is my code official not understanding the intent of the code?

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