Building material flammability advice

[anto44]

Looking for a bit of advice from anyone that's familiar with building standards in particular fire safety. I was given some sheets of this stuff by a neighbor who had it left over after after some building renovations. He thinks it was put under the floors as some sort of underlay. I was messing around today and decided to see how flammable it is, the answer is extremely flammable. In sheet form it catches fire and burns quite quickly, if you crumble it in your hand and put a flame to it it catches fire instantly and burns up shocking fast. Is anyone familiar with this stuff and is this normal? If it's not normal then I'd like to inform him of this.

 

[Parm]

Looks like some type of paper/fibre underlay used under laminate flooring.

No need to test, it’s very highly flammable

 

[anto44]

Looks like some type of paper/fibre underlay used under laminate flooring.

No need to test, it’s very highly flammable

I was shocked when I seen how quickly it burnt, I would have assumed to be used in a building it would have to have some resistance to burning. What I'm wondering is if this stuff is ok to use in a house or does it meet proper fire regulations. I don't want to say anything to worry him unnecessarily but if this stuff shouldn't be in his house I'd like to tell him.
I'm not a H&S nazi but fire safety in homes would be something I'd be careful about.

 

[gaz1]

Looks like some type of paper/fibre underlay used under laminate flooring.

No need to test, it’s very highly flammable

parm is spot on the stuff is used as underlay for laminate flooring as fitted it down recently

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Yup concur
Underlay for laminate flooring.

Houses are full of extremely flammable materials.

Sandwiched between floor and laminate will behave differently.
Lack of oxygen for a start

 

[Hitch]

It's just underlay board for laminate flooring and such. In the open air it's pretty flammable. How about when it's between a chipboard floor and some engineered flooring... not so much air getting around it to burn easily then? My living room floor currently consists of wooden joists, chipboard flooring, that green stuff, engineered oak flooring, then on top of that I have sat a big old wicker basket, full of logs.

 

[Parm]

I was shocked when I seen how quickly it burnt, I would have assumed to be used in a building it would have to have some resistance to burning. What I'm wondering is if this stuff is ok to use in a house or does it meet proper fire regulations. I don't want to say anything to worry him unnecessarily but if this stuff shouldn't be in his house I'd like to tell him.
I'm not a H&S nazi but fire safety in homes would be something I'd be careful about.

I don’t know anything about building regs are fire safety

But let’s be sensible about this, in the average house, carpets - flammable, sofas etc - flammable, soft furnishings - flammable, wooden flooring etc - flammable, doors, skirting etc - flammable, floor joist and other construction timber - flammable. Wall paper and paint - massively flammable and will aid surface propagation of flames

So in the real world does a bit of paper underlay really change the risk profile in the average home ?

 

[gaz1]

I see so many people want and have fitted wooden paneling and more so going up stairs with the stuff

I even fit the stuff for people

in my own houses ive ripped the lot out due to it being so flamable if it takes hold

as parm says if you really looked into what is flamable in your own houses you would be in for a shock

 

[brightspark]

exactly jeesus everyone's going overboard and hell bent on stuff setting on fire if it was that bad it wouldn't be sold

 

[Parm]

I was shocked when I seen how quickly it burnt, I would have assumed to be used in a building it would have to have some resistance to burning. What I'm wondering is if this stuff is ok to use in a house or does it meet proper fire regulations. I don't want to say anything to worry him unnecessarily but if this stuff shouldn't be in his house I'd like to tell him.
I'm not a H&S nazi but fire safety in homes would be something I'd be careful about.

A simple fire test by burning doesn’t mean anything and it’s not very scientific

If you dont have any qualifications in fire, fire testing and building materials etc etc etc I wouldn’t say anything

 

[gaz1]

exactly jeesus everyone's going overboard and hell bent on stuff setting on fire if it was that bad it wouldn't be sold

i can quote one stuff sold like hell and so bad if in a fire it driped molten plastic on top of you

the old ceiling tiles made out of plastics or foam i cant remember which ones

 

[brightspark]

i can quote one stuff sold like hell and so bad if in a fire it driped molten plastic on top of you

the old ceiling tiles made out of plastics or foam i cant remember which ones

I can polystyrene real bad

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Id be far more concerned with dodgy wiring and overloaded sockets.
So many houses I see with multi cubes plugged in and usually an extension lead plugged into it too.

 

[brightspark]

Id be far more concerned with dodgy wiring and overloaded sockets.
So many houses I see with multi cubes plugged in and usually an extension lead plugged into it too.

don't forget the 3kw fire plugged in to them as well or the tumble drier

 

[anto44]

Thanks for the replies guys never seen the stuff before and know nothing about it so I just wanted to check if it was ok. I wasn't trying to go overboard on the fire safety thats why I tried to get an answer from someone who knows their stuff in regards to this kind of thing before I said anything to him about it.

 

[Parm]

don't forget the 3kw fire plugged in to them as well or the tumble drier

Or the cheapo phone chargers that get hot enough to cook your dinner on

 

[brightspark]

wish you lot would stop making me laugh I wanna go to bed

 

[Parm]

wish you lot would stop making me laugh I wanna go to bed

Make sure your phone ain’t plugged in and your gas bottles etc are fully submerged in at least 100m of water, don’t forget to have fire brigade on standby, and to be sure sleep with one eye open lol

 

[colnerov]

I don’t know anything about building regs are fire safety

But let’s be sensible about this, in the average house, carpets - flammable, sofas etc - flammable, soft furnishings - flammable, wooden flooring etc - flammable, doors, skirting etc - flammable, floor joist and other construction timber - flammable. Wall paper and paint - massively flammable and will aid surface propagation of flames

So in the real world does a bit of paper underlay really change the risk profile in the average home ?

Don't forget people are flammable as well, as taught it fire training courses.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

don't forget the 3kw fire plugged in to them as well or the tumble drier

And batteries removed from the smoke alarms so there not disturbed while toasting there breakfast.