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 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

PVCu is fire resistant, but does burn and will give off potentially
dangerous fumes. I think the flashpoint is higher than wood, and IIRC it is
self extinguishing

I am aware of a number of instances though, where fires have spread more
quickly through soffits and eaves, because the PVCu melted/burned quicker
than wood and thus allowed flames to travel into the exposed roof spaces. I
recall a London council stopped using it after such an occurance, and
specified wood instead.

I also remember a fire close to home where a builders van caught fire on his
drive. The van was within 5 foot of the house and the flames licked the wall
up to the eaves and were close to a window.

Now the fire crew said that if the window had been plastic, then the flames
would have melted it and been in the house in no time. However, as it was
timber, all that happened was the frame charred and the outer DG unit pane
broke. Same for the soffit. Timber prevented a much worse situation occuring

It is not any more of a fire hazard than wood, but just remember it is
plastic and

Painting PVCu seems to defeat the object of using it in the first place!

dg


"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

On 19 Sep 2003 14:15:43 GMT, wrote:

Not necessarily, I have an unmunged E-Mail address here and it receives
just about no spam (like one a month or less). The vast bulk of
E-Mail spam results from E-Mail addresses appearing on web pages.

I've just had my 3,000'th 2,000 linewom-spoor of the _day_, from the
new Swen worm. It seems (from tracing addresses or some of the cc:
lists) to have picked up my address from alt.war.nuclear

****ed off ? You might say that....

In article , Andy Dingley
writes
On 19 Sep 2003 14:15:43 GMT, wrote:

Not necessarily, I have an unmunged E-Mail address here and it receives
just about no spam (like one a month or less). The vast bulk of
E-Mail spam results from E-Mail addresses appearing on web pages.

I've just had my 3,000'th 2,000 linewom-spoor of the _day_, from the
new Swen worm. It seems (from tracing addresses or some of the cc:
lists) to have picked up my address from alt.war.nuclear

****ed off ? You might say that....


Same here, about 300 today:-(((((((((((
--
Tony Sayer

wrote:

I too have had lots of those E-Mails, fun aren't they (?). However
none have been to the address I use for posting here ),
they've nearly all been to my 'catchall' address that I use for forms
on the WWW.

I've received hundreds at the address I use for newsgroups, and almost none
at my real address.

"dg" wrote in message ...
PVCu is fire resistant, but does burn and will give off potentially
dangerous fumes. I think the flashpoint is higher than wood, and IIRC it is
self extinguishing

I am aware of a number of instances though, where fires have spread more
quickly through soffits and eaves, because the PVCu melted/burned quicker
than wood and thus allowed flames to travel into the exposed roof spaces. I
recall a London council stopped using it after such an occurance, and
specified wood instead.

I also remember a fire close to home where a builders van caught fire on his
drive. The van was within 5 foot of the house and the flames licked the wall
up to the eaves and were close to a window.

Now the fire crew said that if the window had been plastic, then the flames
would have melted it and been in the house in no time. However, as it was
timber, all that happened was the frame charred and the outer DG unit pane
broke. Same for the soffit. Timber prevented a much worse situation occuring

It is not any more of a fire hazard than wood, but just remember it is
plastic and

Painting PVCu seems to defeat the object of using it in the first place!

dg

Hi Gents,

My query relates to a posting titled "Is this a daft idea?" I propose
extending a shallow (4.5") chimney breast by 2" to balance the breast
either side of a new fireplace. It doesn't seem worth getting it
plastered. In effect the piece of soffit will act as a new
corner-piece for the chimney breast. Well away from any direct heat.
I'll redo the coving and skirting board and then wallpaper. It's not
meant to be seen. The paint was only a suggestion for possibly
improving its fire-retardant properties.

Thanks again for your helpful and thought-provoking suggestions,

Alan

"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

S Viemeister wrote in message ...

I've received hundreds at the address I use for newsgroups, and almost none
at my real address.

Ditto. This hotmail address which I have used for usenet posting (and
only that) receives at least 10 spam emails per day. Quite obviously
been trawled off the newsgroups; nobody is going to have hit on a
stupid username like davidlobsterpot601 by fluke or other spammer
techniques.

ISTR that it's apparently 'safe' to set your posted 'Reply-To:'
address as your real one; the spammers don't touch that, it's the
'From' address that they go for.

Alan Darlington wrote:
"dg" wrote in message
...

Snipped

Hi Gents,

My query relates to a posting titled "Is this a daft idea?" I propose
extending a shallow (4.5") chimney breast by 2" to balance the breast
either side of a new fireplace. It doesn't seem worth getting it
plastered. In effect the piece of soffit will act as a new
corner-piece for the chimney breast. Well away from any direct heat.
I'll redo the coving and skirting board and then wallpaper. It's not
meant to be seen. The paint was only a suggestion for possibly
improving its fire-retardant properties.

Thanks again for your helpful and thought-provoking suggestions,

Alan

Hi Alan,

Just a question, are you going to "decorate" this piece of plastic with
wallpaper or paint?

If this is the case then you may find that this could be difficult to do
successfully as there is no "key" for the adhesive etc to stick to.

If you are going to try this then it may be worth trying to "scratch" the
surface with something like glasspaper to try and form a key.

Brian

"Brian" wrote in message ...
Alan Darlington wrote:
"dg" wrote in message
...

Snipped

Hi Gents,

My query relates to a posting titled "Is this a daft idea?" I propose
extending a shallow (4.5") chimney breast by 2" to balance the breast
either side of a new fireplace. It doesn't seem worth getting it
plastered. In effect the piece of soffit will act as a new
corner-piece for the chimney breast. Well away from any direct heat.
I'll redo the coving and skirting board and then wallpaper. It's not
meant to be seen. The paint was only a suggestion for possibly
improving its fire-retardant properties.

Thanks again for your helpful and thought-provoking suggestions,

Alan

Hi Alan,

Just a question, are you going to "decorate" this piece of plastic with
wallpaper or paint?

If this is the case then you may find that this could be difficult to do
successfully as there is no "key" for the adhesive etc to stick to.

If you are going to try this then it may be worth trying to "scratch" the
surface with something like glasspaper to try and form a key.

Brian


Hi.

I dont really understand the determination to use something so
unsuitable as upvc when one can use wood, metal, cement and plaster,
or wood covered by plasterboard.

Even the 1924 building regs outlawed upvc this close to the fire.


Regards, NT

S Viemeister wrote:

wrote:

I've received hundreds at the address I use for newsgroups, and almost none
at my real address.

Munge your addy then...

Niel.

NJF wrote:


S Viemeister wrote:

wrote:

I've received hundreds at the address I use for newsgroups, and almost none
at my real address.

Munge your addy then...

Er, um, did I say that or did you misquote? Anyway, I get lots of
spam to an address I use on the web, I get just about no spam at all
to my usenet address that I use here ).

--
Chris Green )