When you hear the term ‘flameproofing, I would guess you’re thinking of the mostly modern technique of spraying or coating objects with highly advanced fire retardant chemicals. And you wouldn’t be wrong. Most of us don’t really think of any kind of flameproofing taking place in time periods prior to modern history. However, as soon as humans had an awareness of the power of fire, along with it came attempts to protect themselves from it. Today, we will see how some of the first methods of flameproofing have progressed to what we know it as today.
Thanks to writer Gustave Bonadio, we have a window into history to observe some of the early methods of flameproofing, all the way as far back as B.C. times. We can even see other examples of simple flameproofing techniques that were used during the days of early Christianity.
As history unfolded, more developed methods of flameproofing were used during the medieval wars. During those early combats, mobile towers would approach enemy fortresses, prepared to do battle. As a protection for the towers, they were covered in alum mixtures, which served to shield them from hot pitch and flaming catapults that the enemy hurled at them.
Continuing through history, we see that flameproofing was used in more common settings and became a little more advanced. People soon realized that flameproofing was not just important for warfare but for everyday life, especially in public gathering places. For example, in the 17th century, paintings that were hung for decorative purposes in theaters had clay mixed in, which served as a protective agent from fire. Today, the same concept is employed but with borax mixtures and ammonium salts instead.
So where did the jump take place in history from those techniques to what we use today?
Well, we can thank researcher Michael Wolfinden for his work in investigating flameproofing practices. He launched his research about 40 years ago, in 1976. Because of his work, many of our current flameproofing practices are based on his discoveries. After his analysis and the testing of his theories, Wolfiden developed the very first fire retardants that were able to be applied to textiles and fabric materials (Fabric Flare).
Since then, even more advancements in the development of flameproofing techniques and chemicals have been made, protecting us from fires more than ever before. Today, the chemicals we use to make fabrics and objects fire resistant are safe for humans as well as for the environment.
At Queens Flameproofing, we know how strong a fire can be and how critical it is that the proper measures of protection are in place. As industry leaders in flameproofing for more than 5 decades, we practice the most modern flameproofing techniques to see that Queens and the surrounding boroughs are safe from the devastations of fire.
If you have flameproofing needs or have questions, please call at your convenience. We would be happy to speak to you anytime and offer you a free, no-obligation estimate: 800-972-5587.