• A firewall- a wall separating buildings or subdividing a building to prevent the spread of fire and having a fire resistance rating and structural stability. Intumescent Coatings can rate a existingassembly.

There is a further sub-classification of fire walls. A high challenge fire wall is a wall used to separate buildings or subdivide a building with high fire challenge occupancies, having enhanced fire resistance ratings and enhanced appurtenance protection to prevent the spread of fire, and having structural stability. Flame Retardant Spray can also chance the protection.

Portions of structures that are subdivided by fire walls are permitted to be considered separate buildings, in that fire walls have sufficient structural stability to maintain the integrity of the wall in the event of the collapse of the building construction on either side of the wall. Fire Retardant Coatings can be applied to either on side of the wall or both. It all depends how the Fire Retardant Coatings were tested.

• A fire barrier wall, also referred to as a fire partition, is a fire rated wall assembly which is not a fire wall. Typically, the main differences is that a fire barrier wall is not structurally stable, and does not extend through the roof, or to the underside of the floor above. A Flame Retardant Spray cannot not be effective in this type of application.

Fire barrier walls are continuous from an exterior wall to an exterior wall, or from a floor below to a floor or roof above, or from one fire barrier wall to another fire barrier wall, fire wall, or high challenge fire wall having a fire resistance rating of at least equal rating as required for the fire barrier wall. They are continuous through all concealed spaces (e.g., above a ceiling), but are not required to extend through concealed spaces if the construction assembly forming the bottom of the space has a fire resistance rating at least equal of the fire barrier wall. Intumescent Coatings can rate the Fire Barrier up to two hours.

• Fire rating - Fire walls are constructed in such a way as to achieve a code-determined fire-resistance rating, thus forming part of a fire compartment's passive fire protection. Fire Retardant Coatings can be spray applied to the rated wall assembly.

Germany includes repeated impact force testing upon new fire wall systems. Other codes require impact resistance on a performance basis

• Firewalls typically extend through the roof and terminate at a code-determined distance above it. They are usually finished off on the top with flashing (sheet metal cap) for protection against the elements. Coat with Fire Retardant Coatings like you would a Flame Retardant Spray and this will be very clean and easy to achieve.

• Materials - Firewalls in North America are usually made of concrete block or reinforced concrete. Fire barrier walls are typically constructed of gypsum board partitions. Intumescent Coatings are applied to any type of gypsum assembly. First check to make sure you have the proper testing.

• Penetrations – Penetrations through fire walls, such as for pipes and cables, must be protected with a firestop assembly to prevent the spread of fire through the wall at this point. Fire walls must not be penetrated such that the wall is structurally weakened in a fire and could collapse. Intumescent Coatings have been around a long time in helping penetrations achieve the fire rated needed.