The Framers Forum

Been asked to provide a 'fire proof' frame for a picture to go into the communal area of a care home.

I'm thinking metal frame, what about glazing? Anyone else been here?

There should be published fire and safety standards for such facilities in your country. Ask to see them from the facility who is contracting the job. A second source might be your local fire brigade. If they do not have them, they will know where to find the published standards.

I'd also use a metal frame.
Waterwhite glass with no coatings as glass isn't flammable.
No mounts.
Backed with this from Travis Perkins:
https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Promat- ... m/p/559000.

The only part which would be flammable would be the artwork itself.

Jules

I don't think any normal float glass would be suitable, needs to be fire rated safety glazing. A glazing company like Schott probably do a fire rated glass...
Is it a highly valuable piece of art being framed, or something disposable?

keep it simple...

https://www.luminati.co.uk/fire-rated-poster-frames

Are they expecting the communal area of the care home to go on fire anytime soon?

I would also say an aluminium frame with glass and you can also get flame retardant MDF in 6mm.

I think you can also get flame retardant tape and if you could seal the package with this tape then maybe you could use a window-mount. You can also get a flame retardant spray for fabric and card.

They probably want something that is not easily combustible and can help fire spread. There will be plenty of wood furniture in the care home I'm sure and that can burn but certain furniture with foam can combust and spread very quickly.

I would get them to be more specific and give you details of exactly what they require.

Edit;
the keep it simple idea of those fire rated poster frames from Richard is a great idea

I would not get too excited about this. Use an aluminium frame, with laminated glass front and rear and leave it at that. Don't bother with sealing the back of the frame with tape. If it does need sealing, then there is a high temperature silicone sealant which can be used.

As for the artwork and any mounts, they will carbonise if there is enough heat, but the available oxygen supply between two sheets of laminated glass in an aluminium frame is extremely restricted. Flames need oxygen, so the frame will not be contributing at all to the spread of a fire within these premises. Toughened glass withstands even higher temperatures, but the price will be crazy.

There is no issue with the rate of spread of surface flame as the whole of the outside surface of the frame is totally non-combustible. You can obtain laminated glass from Wessex pictures and perhaps from other suppliers as well. Quote the customer a price and if they want it cheaper, then they need to tell you what they require in meaningful terms. Just asking for fire proof framing does not really mean a lot any way.

Wasn't there about 20 years ago an British company won a Fine Art Guild Award for their fire retardant glass

A couple of thoughts spring to mind.
First is mentioned above, but it's whether they need to be fire resistant to protect the work or simply not be fuel for the fire.
If it's the first then they also need to be waterproof for the gallons of water sprayed in in the event of a fire. A client of ours has lost much of his work in a studio fire even though the fire didn't quite reach his space. All from smoke and water damage.

Yes, that's the hard one. Making the frame fire proof is one thing, but making water proof and fire proof at the same time is another matter. I would not like to guarrantee that the waterproofing method would withstand the heat of the fire. Added to that, even if the frame won't burn, it does not mean that the artwork, or mount will survive the heat within the frame.

Simoonez wrote
" A client of ours has lost much of his work in a studio fire even though the fire didn't quite reach his space. All from smoke and water damage"

Is that the artists studios in Bridport the other week, felt so sorry for them

I think the object is to provide a frame that is non-flammable rather than fire-proof. So in the event of a fire it didn't add to the inferno.

Making it 'fire-proof' in the sense of protecting the art from fire damage would be next to impossible.