Flame Spread Performance for Interior Finishes

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Flame Spread Performance for Interior Finishes

Postby Andrew Herrick » Mon Dec 17, 2018 6:15 pm

Hey all!

One of the most important design considerations of a teardrop camper, and something I waited way too long to address personally, is fire safety. In the mainstream RV world, fire safety is governed by standard NFPA 1192. Now, homebuilt campers can violate every conceivable fire safety standard imaginable ... but we can't tackle everything at once!

So the thing I'll throw out there is the concept of a Flame Spread Index, which is basically a measurement of surface burning characteristics. Materials used as interior finishes in RVs, according to NFPA 1192, should have a flame-spread index rating of less than 200.

You can find flame-spread indexes all over the internet. Here's one from the state of Louisiana: http://sfm.dps.louisiana.gov/doc_flamespread.html

Long story short: Most materials are A-okay. What's interesting is that most of the cheap wood-based products, such as OSB, fiberboard, particleboard, MDF, T1-11 siding, cheap sheathing, etc., can creep uncomfortably close to that 200 rating, especially in 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch varieties.

Just something to think about when you're debating the "savings" of building with contractor-grade OSB instead of good plywood :thinking:
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Re: Flame Spread Performance for Interior Finishes

Postby Andrew Herrick » Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:01 pm

Well ... there's certainly something to be said for resourcefulness! :) But it doesn't change the science. Some materials are inherently safer (i.e., more flame-retardant) than others, and everyone who has the ability should be building campers to be as safe as possible. You never know when life will change and your beloved homebuilt camper winds up sold - and you don't want to be knowingly selling a matchbox!
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Re: Flame Spread Performance for Interior Finishes

Postby aggie79 » Wed Dec 19, 2018 9:51 am

Flame retardency is one characteristic for consideration, but I would also add toxicity and flammable toxicity as related topics. Borates increase flame retardency but have a mixed reports of toxicity. Plastics and other petroleum-based synthetics emit "nasty" chemical compounds when the burn.

Perhaps the better focus is the ability to easily an d quickly egress/exit your camper in a fire event.
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Re: Flame Spread Performance for Interior Finishes

Postby Andrew Herrick » Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:31 am

aggie79 wrote:Flame retardency is one characteristic for consideration, but I would also add toxicity and flammable toxicity as related topics. Borates increase flame retardency but have a mixed reports of toxicity. Plastics and other petroleum-based synthetics emit "nasty" chemical compounds when the burn.

Perhaps the better focus is the ability to easily an d quickly egress/exit your camper in a fire event.


Agreed. Thankfully, when it comes to wood, the two work hand-in-hand. The composite wood-based products, like MDF and OSB, are both more toxic and more flammable. So it's a win-win.

And I concur with the focus on quick egress. Too many campers are built with single entrance doors and fixed windows (formerly a guilty member myself). Two entrance doors or a single entrance door w/ egress window is better.
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