Work is now under way on the development of a new dedicated FR treatment facility, following the recent announcement of a partnership between timber treatment company WJ Group and Denmark-based fireretardant business Burnblock.
The factory, which will be based in Kirkburn, Yorkshire, will contain some of the latest treatment technology to enable WJ to deliver its new service and it will complement the company’s existing facilities in Hull and Rochester.
The investment in treatment technology includes the installation of a new autoclave – a high-pressure treatment system that will provide the impregnation of the Burnblock fire retardant to a range of timber species, along with new kiln drying capacity.
Treatments will be available to Euroclass B – the highest European fire rating achievable on timber products.
The partnership will see WJ work with one of the most innovative and environmentally friendly fire-retardant businesses in the world, alongside UK plywood and panel experts, Specialised Panel Products Ltd, to produce a 100% natural and non-toxic solution for timber fire protection.
Burnblock works by preventing oxygen reaching the treated timber, and without oxygen in the chain reaction of a fire, the risk of ignition is reduced and the speed at which any flame spreads is decreased. It is water-based, biodegradable, reliable and safe, according to the manufacturer, who added that it has been environmentally tested by independent third-party institutes, with all its fire testing being performed to the latest European standards by some of the most well known institutes in Europe. These include RI.SE (SP-Fire) in Sweden, MPA in Germany and BRE in Britain. All substantiating documentation is provided with each treatment in order to provide customers with the assurances they require.
“We are looking forward to working with Burnblock and Specialised Panel Products to provide our customers with one of the best and most environmentally friendly, fire retardant products in the market,” said Mark Eggleston, managing director at WJ Group.
“From the first meeting it was clear that we share the same values and vision for the future of fire-retardant timber materials, and we believe that our new partnerships will enable us to provide the sector with the best quality FR treated timber and plywood.”
“We have spent over a decade developing and improving our fire-retardant treatment and we currently hold a world patent for our solution,” said Hroar Bay Smidt, Burnblock’s chief executive officer. “What we say is what we can document – that is our principle.
“We are continually investing with our customers, in testing and certifying products based on individual requirements, and we provide accurate documentation from independent third-party test institutes to support and verify all of our statements,” he added. “Our UK partnership with Specialised Panel Products Ltd on the supply of Burnblock-treated plywood has proven to be hugely successful. We view the partnership with WJ as the next progressive step towards supplying the UK market with further Burnblock-treated timber products.
“We are excited to be working with WJ on this venture.”
Burnblock fire-retardant timber will be available from WJ Group under its Timber Treatments brand and its partner Specialised Panel Products Ltd from this month.
