"Alan Darlington" wrote in message
om...
Hi Folks,

In another thread I was proposing to use a piece exterior UPVC soffit
on a job inside the living room. Someone then reminded me of the
potential fire hazard. This has made me think of the potential fire
hazard of UPVC soffits and plastic gutters and also the internal
coatings on my new double-glazing. Does anyone know if the
soffit/window coatings have any fire-retardant properties? Also,
would it be effective to use fire-retardant paint on the piece of
soffit board in the house?

Thanks in advance,

Alan

Alan,

Apologies, the following reply should have been sent to the group and if you
have received my direct reply it would be advisable to "munge" your e-mail
address to prevent the hordes of spam that you may be receiving.

The potential fire hazard is no greater than that of timber, the main hazard
of UPVC is that of toxic fumes being released when it has actually ignited.

If you have plastic internal window cills that were fitted during the
installation of your windows then that is the same as fitting your soffit
board inside - with a low fire risk.

However, if you wish to fit your soffit near an open heat source such as a
fire or flame then I would advise against this - otherwise go ahead.

With regards to a fire retardant paint for plastic, I personally know of no
such compound because to be effective, the paint has to be absorbed into the
base material and this is not possible with a plastic surface.

Hope this helps

Brian