Intumescent Paint Contractors
Intumescent coatings spray-applied to structural steel and other substrates, to the manufacturer’s specification, by a FIRAS-accredited installation company. On-site or off-site, UK-wide.
Free site survey and written quotation. No obligation.
The work in practice
Intumescent coatings on real steel
Structural steel protected before and during the build.
The work
What an intumescent coating does
A building fire can reach 1,000°C or more — a serious threat to the steel beams and columns holding the building up, and to everyone inside it. Intumescent coating is a passive fire protection measure applied like paint. At normal temperatures it sits as a thin, unobtrusive film. Exposed to the heat of a fire, it reacts and expands into a thick, insulating layer over the surface it protects, designed to slow the transfer of heat into the steel beneath, protect its load-bearing capacity and slow the spread of flames.
Systems are specified to achieve a fire-resistance period — typically 30, 60 or 90 minutes — and the manufacturer’s specification sets the product, the preparation and the film thickness required on each steel section for that period. The application has to follow it exactly. That is the job you are hiring done.
Worth being clear about: we are the applicators, not the fire engineers. The period your building needs comes from your project’s fire strategy or building control requirements — our job is to apply the system specified to achieve it, correctly.
Application
How we apply it
The performance an intumescent system is specified to achieve depends on it being applied the way the manufacturer intended — which is why preparation gets as much attention as the coating itself.
Surfaces must be clean, dry and free of debris or contaminants before anything goes on, and unsound existing coatings are removed so the system can adhere properly. Where steel needs taking back further, we shot blast it first.
We then spray-apply the coating rather than brushing or rollering it, so the film builds evenly to the thickness the specification calls for.
Manufacturer’s specification
Product, preparation and film thickness follow the specification on every project.
FIRAS-certificated installation
USP Coatings holds FIRAS accreditation for the installation of fire protection coatings.
On-site or off-site
Applied in place on the building — see on-site spraying — or off-site before the steel is erected.
Already have a specification or a steel schedule?
Send it over with the postcode and we will come back with a price. Earlier than that? Book the free survey and we will look at it with you.
Scope
Where intumescent coatings are used
Intumescent systems suit interior and exterior structures, applied on-site or off-site. Most of the work is structural steel, but systems exist for softwood, hardwood, concrete, brick, plaster and MDF, in environments from shops and warehouses to car parks and areas with chemical exposure.
The finish does not have to cost the building its looks. Intumescent coating is typically white or clear with a smooth, paint-like appearance, and can be finished with a coloured topseal to match a brand colour or an interior scheme — protection that does not detract from the aesthetic and architectural value of what it covers.
Who you are hiring
An accredited contractor, not just a painter
Fire protection is not a job for a general decorator. USP Coatings holds FIRAS accreditation — an independent certification scheme for installers of fire protection — alongside the CHAS, CSCS, IPAF and PASMA credentials below. We are a national commercial spraying contractor, trusted by brands including Tesco, Amazon, BMW, Morrisons and Radisson.
The finished work carries a coating guarantee of up to 20 years, confirmed in writing with the quote. The guarantee covers the coating system itself; the fire protection comes from that system being applied to the manufacturer’s specification.
Compliance
Accreditations, RAMS and insurance
Everything your procurement team asks for, in writing, before we get on site.
USP Coatings is CHAS accredited and every operative holds a valid CSCS card. We carry £10 million public liability insurance and send the certificate with the quote. Full risk assessments and method statements — RAMS — are issued for approval before any work begins, on every project, without being asked.
CHASHealth and safety pre-qualification
CSCSCarded operatives on every site
IPAFPowered access, MEWPs
PASMAMobile access towers
CITBRegistered training and skills
FIRASCertificated fire protection installationCost
What intumescent coating costs
Intumescent work is priced per square metre, and the rate moves with the specification. These are the factors a quote is built from.
- The fire-resistance period the system is specified to achieve — 30, 60 or 90 minutes — and the film thickness that requires
- The dimensions of each steel section, and the quantity and overall meterage of each
- Orientation — horizontal or vertical — and the number of sides to be coated (all sides, three sides, one flange)
- The environment: internal, external, car park, chemical exposure
- Whether the work is on-site or off-site
If you have a steel schedule, those answers are already in it and we can price quickly. If not, the survey is free and the quote that follows is fixed price.
FAQs
Intumescent coating FAQs
What does an intumescent coating actually do?
At normal temperatures it is a thin, paint-like film. In the heat of a fire it expands into a thick insulating layer, designed to slow the transfer of heat into the steel beneath and protect its load-bearing capacity while the building is evacuated.
What can intumescent coatings be applied to?
Structural steel is the most common substrate, but systems exist for softwood, hardwood, concrete, brick, plaster and MDF, for interior and exterior structures.
Can intumescent coating be applied on site?
Yes — on the erected steel in the building, or off-site before the steel goes up. Which is right for your project usually comes down to programme, access and the environment the specification has to answer.
Are you FIRAS accredited?
Yes. USP Coatings holds FIRAS accreditation for the installation of fire protection coatings — an independent certification scheme for fire protection installers.
How is intumescent coating priced?
Per square metre, against the specification: the fire-resistance period the system is specified to achieve, the size, quantity and orientation of each steel section, how many sides are coated, the environment, and on-site versus off-site application. The survey and quotation are free.
What guarantee do you offer?
A coating guarantee of up to 20 years, confirmed in writing with the quote. The guarantee covers the coating system itself.
Where we work
We are a national contractor and we go to the steel — on the building, or before it is erected. Teams work across England, Scotland and Wales, with London and the South East covered as standard alongside our Yorkshire base; head office is in Bradford. Send us the postcode and we will confirm survey availability.
Next step
Book a free site survey
We come to the building — or work from your drawings and steel schedule — and send a written, fixed-price quotation against the specification. No charge, no obligation.
- Free survey and written fixed-price quotation
- System applied to the manufacturer’s specification
- RAMS and insurance certificate supplied with it
Prefer to talk it through first? Call 01134 364 364 or email letstalk@uspcoatings.co.uk.