Double up Borate treater adds fire resistance

NEW tire inhibiting additive .6.offered

A by SC Bluwood. Carlsbad, Ca., is protecting new houses in an area hit by wildfires last fall.

Named AF21, the additive was developed by a Florida company named WoodSmart Solutions-which also developed Bluwood, a boratebased treatment that protects wood products against termites and mold.

"As of June 2008. SC Bluwood is the first licensee to offer the AF21 blend to the public," said co-owner Mark Vuozzo. He and Steve Conboy launched the company in 2003.

Today, they have a treating plant in Colton, Ca., an exclusive license to market WoodSmart coatings throughout the West, and $10 million in annual sales. "There are so many manufacturers that go into a house, and you have to serve all of them," said Conboy.

According to industry estimates, termites cause $l-2 billion in damage to U.S. homes each year and insurers have paid more than $3 billion in mold-related claims in recent years. Fire damages cost even more, accounting for $17 billion to $21 billion in property losses in recent years.

WoodSmart has performed thirdparty testing of Douglas fir and hemfir lumber treated with the AF21lBluwood solution. Test results reportedly indicated Class A fire ratings per ASTM E84-01b, the standard test method for surface burning characteristics of materials. Other species of wood are now undergoing testing.

According to WoodSmart, the fire inhibitor is locked into wood products by Bluwood's moisture barrier and will not wash off. The additive is also non-toxic, non-corrosive, biodegradeable, and environmentally friendlyas is Bluwood.

The first home to be protected by AF2l is a rebuild in Rancho Bernardo, which was hard hit by last October's Witch Creek-Guejito fire. Homeowner Ken Baker, a retired contractor, contacted SC Bluwood during his search for fire-resistive building materials.

Baker's new home is now being built with such fire-resistive materials as Bluwood/AFc2l framing lumber, cellulose insulation, and Pyrocrete-a stucco material mainly used in commercial applications. He has also persuaded several of his neighbors to rebuild with these materials.

"The opportunity to assist Ken Baker with rebuilding his home has been a wonderful experience," said Steve Conboy. "I know that Bluwood with AF21 is a revolutionary product, but being able to give homeowners peace of mind is phenomenal."