Sparkproofing/ fire retarding a wooden shop?

Dave Black

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Location
Central PA
My family shop is an old chicken house, it has cement floors and corrugated aluminum ceiling and plywood over fiberglass insulation for the walls. It is pole building construction. I have a metal shop/welding area in 1 section of the wood shop. I want to move the metal/welding stuff over on the other side of the wall so its not in the woodshop. My Dad has a concern that a stray spark could catch the place on fire, this is a valid concern. My thoughts are: right now the we are making sparks where there is wood dust (I try keep the dust cleaned up when I'm making sparks) and we haven't had a problem yet. Moving the metal stuff in its own area would be better since there won't be wood dust all over so it would be an improvement. I was planning on sheeting corrugated aluminum over the plywood to further sparkproof the walls, at least in the areas where grinding/welding is being done. His concern is that a spark could get under the sheeting and cause a fire. How do you guys that have metal working stuff in your buildings take care of this? Pictures would be great.
 
I don't have a welding shop, but what about just putting up drywall? It won't catch fire from the sparks.

Another thought would be cement board - the stuff they put under tiles in bathrooms. It's fiberglass reinforced cement, so it oughtta work well for your purposes.
 
If the concern is to just protect from sparks, a single layer of drywall would work. The double layers Steve mentioned allow the wall to withstand direct flames for a specific length of time (a 1 hour rating is common, as I recall).
 
I have a decent amount of aluminum sheeting laying around, the kind used for exteriors of pole buildings. Do you think that a layer of that over plywood would work fine. I could silicon caulk the crack at the top and bottom of the I always thought that drywall would catch fire but not burn through the wall because of the paper facing on the drywall. Is this right?
 
5/8" drywall is used as a fire barrier. If you want a 1 hr rating its one layer and a 2 hr rating is 2 layers with the joints staggered by at least 12".

Usually when I weld in my shop I give atleast an hour after I finish to close and lock up. No more fumes or smoke present and I do a walk thru just to make sure.
 
I think I will use drywall and put corrugated aluminum over it in places where there will be chances of the wall getting beat up. For fun I took a small piece of drywall and set it right behind the wheel of the 14" metal chop saw and cut through 1.25" round stock. When I was done there was about 3/8" thick mound of red hot, glowing metal grindings stuck on the drywall. The paper on the drywall didn't even catch fire. I suppose thats the point, but I always thought that the paper would burn.
 
Dave, when my dad sold his gas station in 1981, he sold only the property, building with furnace. We moved everything out, frame hoist, drive on hoist, tire changer, work benches, etc. He put a divider wall in the barn at home, pole barn construction building, it had a junk partial concrete floor from an old building we removed and built over the pad. Anyway, we put in insulation, then covered with the same type of metal that was on the outside, then poured the floor. Right up to and against the metal wall. Problem solved of a stray spark getting under/around the corrugation. I am planning on building within two years (get the second wedding completed this fall for this year! :eek:) then I can start saving money and stuff for that project. I plan on doing a lot of welding, cutting, forge work, so this is how I plan on doing my wall also for fire protection. So for an existing situation, run the metal to the floor, then maybe just pour a lip or a curb so it is fireproof. I know drywall is firerated, but man, a lot of drywalled houses burn every day.
 
Just one other point ...aluminum burns. Just ask the British what happened to their ships in the Falklands islands conflict when they got hit by missiles. It was not only the misile damage but the aluminum structure that burns on its own.:)
 
Just one other point ...aluminum burns. Just ask the British what happened to their ships in the Falklands islands conflict when they got hit by missiles. It was not only the misile damage but the aluminum structure that burns on its own.:)

Aluminum burns at over 4,100 K (6920°F), which is why it is used as a component of some solid rocket fuels. I didn't realize this--thank you ask.com.:):)
 
Aluminum burns at over 4,100 K (6920°F), which is why it is used as a component of some solid rocket fuels. I didn't realize this--thank you ask.com.:):)

Ron, ye are right and wrong at the same time. :huh:
When I was a volunteer fireman we saw many mobile homes burn to the ground. Mobiles are made with a lot of aluminum and most of it got consumed in the fire. Structure fires are often around 1200 degrees.
Aluminum ignition point is slightly over 1200 degrees but while burning the temps can reach in excess of 4100 degrees.
So, if any aluminum is present in a structure fire and it ignites you can then have some serious problems.
Powdered aluminum is now being used in some of the bunker buster bombs. They penetrate then go "boom" and spread burning 4100 degree aluminum powder through the bad guys caves or underground shelters.
 
Ron, ye are right and wrong at the same time. :huh:
When I was a volunteer fireman we saw many mobile homes burn to the ground. Mobiles are made with a lot of aluminum and most of it got consumed in the fire. Structure fires are often around 1200 degrees.
Aluminum ignition point is slightly over 1200 degrees but while burning the temps can reach in excess of 4100 degrees.
So, if any aluminum is present in a structure fire and it ignites you can then have some serious problems.
Powdered aluminum is now being used in some of the bunker buster bombs. They penetrate then go "boom" and spread burning 4100 degree aluminum powder through the bad guys caves or underground shelters.

Pretty darned hot no matter how you look at it.
 
We are serious here. No joking permitted.

We let you in Frank.......... ;) :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Oh hang on, you said "Joking" not "Jokers" :D

While I think what your wall is made from is certainly important, what you leave piled up around the shop is much more important, IMHO.

I worked a few years in a steel fabrication shop, big place, a few hundred employees. There was one section of the factory where some work was done, the floors were all wooden, seriously thick wooden floors, I think it was Oak, but I could not tell, they were soaked in some sort of oil, but welding and cutting was done in there on a regular basis, and nothing ever burned :dunno:

Usually in a welding shop, fires start in old rags etc left laying around. If you want to really make sure no fire can start, go with concrete blocks, that should do it.

Best of luck, take pictures, I know I would enjoy seeing it all evolve! :thumb:
 
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