Finally back to the fire-resistant firewood project

[Crazyraceguy]

I built the cabinets themselves a couple of weeks ago, but had to deal with the wood treatment before making the panels. A few other things came up first and finally, today was the day.
These will be loose panels, to be inserted into the boxes, after installing them. I built a secondary box/fixture to attach the firewood blocks to a back panel. This turned into a giant game of "Battleship", with me calling out grid locations to my helper, who was shooting nails into them from the back.
We sawed a shallow grid into the sub-backs and it worked out great.

The installers are working this job now, so I should get some better pics eventually.

 

[Packard]

I know that there are factory high pressure treatments that can make wood fire resistant.  And there are paints that can do that too.

But the code where I live that materials next to a fire place have to be “non flammable”, not fire resistant.

What is the source for the “fire resistant” requirement?  Is it building code? Something else?

And there are all degrees of “fire resistance”.  Some building codes are satisfied with self-extinguishing materials, which is a much lower standard that fire proof or fire resistant.

Are you certain you are on firm footing with the process you are using?

(I was born a worrier.  Ignore this post if I am worrying about nothing.)

 

[Crazyraceguy]

This is nowhere near a flame of any kind. The cabinets get mounted way up high, above (part of) the soffit, wrapping around a hotel bar.  (12 feet above the floor) It's a local Fire Marshall's request. I don't think this is some super-strict requirement, just a "for good measure" type thing. A specific spray on treatment was used. It goes on white and dries clear. I made a sample, for inspection/approval, clear back on Nov 3rd.
This is some historic building, with very high ceilings on the main floor.
It's that same job with the huge arch topped cabinets from months ago too. I think they are trying to "fill it up" with furniture, etc. to not look cavernous and empty?

For scale, it is over 6' to the bottom of that center shelf, and that whole mess gets mounted on 36" high base cabinets.

 

[Packard]

Back in 1970 - 1974 I was a salesman for a (very) early manufacturer of SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) used primarily for residential applications, but also for some light duty commercial applications.

Our panels had an inner and outer skin of aluminum bonded to an expanded honeycomb inner core made from resin saturated paper.  We sold the panels, required aluminum extrusions and fastening hardware.  We had a BOCA (Building Officials Conference of America) fire rating as non-flammable.

We had one competitor.  Their approach was to ship assembled walls that was simply tipped up and fastened at the corners.  The roof was put up as panels.  They built a wooden frame with, aluminum clad Masonite for skins.  Their insulation was expanded foam.  They advertised that they had an UL certification as self extinguishing. That meant that if you removed the source of the flame, the fire would go out.

I was driving on Long Island and passed a huge building that was home of Underwriters Laboratory (UL).  I stopped in to find out what the certificate that our competition used really meant.  I met with an engineer.  When I described the application, the engineer got very upset.  “You can’t use that cert for walls!  That is for horizontal applications only.”

Apparently, if a fire starts at the bottom of a wall, that flame will continue to feed the fire, and it won’t be self extinguishing until it reached the ceiling.

My point is, when you go down that “fire -resistant” hole, there are a million ways to get lost.

But since the inspector specified the treatment, you are undoubtedly covered.