We have a new housing development with certain House Types having an exposed steel CHS adjacent to the front entrance doors, needing to be 30 mins fire protected. To-date I have not seen an intumescent paint finish which hasn't appeared 'rippled' - can a 'smooth' final finish be achieved, and in any RAL colour? Kind regards, Grant.
The final finish achieved using intumescent paint is really down to the applicator. Intumescent is usually very thick so we would recommend the paint be left somewhere warm for a period of time before application and it then be mechanically mixed prior to use for best results. Also, applying numerous thinner coats would provide a better finish than thicker coats. Intumescent is usually white and is then protected with a flame retardant topcoat and it's the topcoat that is available in a range of colours.