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| | Was just curious what the code was for painting a low voltage telecommunications back board according to Bicsi standards. I know if your not using fire retardant plywood to paint 2 coats of fire retardant paint, and if using the fire rated plywood to mask the stamp and paint around it (if plans call for it to be painted) so the stamp will show afterwards, but I was wanting to know if you had to paint both sides and edges or just what wood will be showing, since most of the buildings have a fire rated telcom room and the drywall will most likely be 1hr+ fire rating. |
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| | My question to you is why do you need to install a non-fire rated backboard and paint it with a fire rated paint? Why don't you just propose or install a fire rated backboard and do not paint it. A communications room need not have the aesthetics of a bedroom. The backboard is the location in a comm room where one screws the 110/66 blocks or any other terminal blocks/panels. Bottomline is keep the comms room simple and functional. |
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| | BICSI's TDMM 11th Edition chapter 6, page 19 say's to paint all sides with fire-resistant light-colored paint. I would just assume this means all six sides. It also states that Fire-retardant plywood is acceptale. TIA/EIA-569-B 5.5.1.1 Plywood Backboards says plywood shall be fire rated (fire retardant). This is from a BICSI design manual and a TIA standard, these are not codes. What does the NEC say? Also, if is in the construction document, it is a requirement, well as long as it meets code. |
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| The light color paint is also supposed to help you achieve the right amount of lighting in the room; I think the TDMM say 50 lumens measured at a certain distance (maybe 6 ft) above the floor. I realize this is a standard that is not always adhered to but it's in the TDMMs if you want a reason.
David Fulford
Carolinas Healthcare Systems
RCDD
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| | I have seen backboards installed every way possible. What it boils down to is how you want your final installation to look and. Do you want it to look like a professional did the work or a amateur? Also, painting backboards white does help with color recognition when terminating cable / fiber although this can be overcome with more light at a higher cost for energy. Some people become nearly color blind in lower light conditions. Unpainted fire-rated backboards look like an amateur failed to finish the job. At minimum the boards should be painted with the same white latex paint used to paint the walls in the rest of the building. This is done after installing the fire-rated boards on the walls and then covering the fire rating stamp with masking tape on each sheet and then remove the tape after painting to assure the stamp is visible on each sheet of of board. The most professional looking installations use boards prepainted and manufactured for the purpose. I would stay away from using lower grade and/or non fire-rated plywood or OSB because yes it does need to be painted on all sides with expensive fire rated paint. Bottom line is making your work look professional may cost a little more but it may get you repeat business if you are a contractor. I hire contrators and would be prone to rehire a contractor that does professional work verusu one that cuts corners trying to save a dime. And if you are the owner the small increase in cost to paint backboards or to use premanufatured boards typically is insignificant when you look at the overall cost to build the room and install expensive network gear. |
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| FL-RCDD (2/21/2009)
I have seen backboards installed every way possible. What it boils down to is how you want your final installation to look and. Do you want it to look like a professional did the work or a amateur? Also, painting backboards white does help with color recognition when terminating cable / fiber although this can be overcome with more light at a higher cost for energy. Some people become nearly color blind in lower light conditions. Unpainted fire-rated backboards look like an amateur failed to finish the job. At minimum the boards should be painted with the same white latex paint used to paint the walls in the rest of the building. This is done after installing the fire-rated boards on the walls and then covering the fire rating stamp with masking tape on each sheet and then remove the tape after painting to assure the stamp is visible on each sheet of of board. The most professional looking installations use boards prepainted and manufactured for the purpose. I would stay away from using lower grade and/or non fire-rated plywood or OSB because yes it does need to be painted on all sides with expensive fire rated paint. Bottom line is making your work look professional may cost a little more but it may get you repeat business if you are a contractor. I hire contrators and would be prone to rehire a contractor that does professional work verusu one that cuts corners trying to save a dime. And if you are the owner the small increase in cost to paint backboards or to use premanufatured boards typically is insignificant when you look at the overall cost to build the room and install expensive network gear. Bill, You hit the mark! You just dwarfed what I wanted to say...  I don't think it could have been said better! For those who don't paint the edges and don't build out the room with board...these are why we have standards. A standard is what we have to hold up to. It is there for the most simplest of reasons. Imagine a world (building industry) without standards. What do you think it would be like? Kevin J
A picture is worth a thousand words. |
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| | From TDMM, 11th edition Chapter 6 page 6-19. see page 6-78 also for backboard requirement Plywood should be void-free and either fire-rated or treated on all sides with at least two coats of fire-resistant light colored paint. Fire retardant plywood is also generally acceptable: however, it may not be permitted in some facilities (e.g. nuclear power plants). so the minimum requirement for the backboard is a 1. fire-rated plywood OR 2. a plywood treated on all sides with fire-resistant paint this is the standard If the user prefer that the fire-rated plywood be painted, then it should be painted with a fire-resistant paint. I'm just a newbie here. but not a newbie in my line of work. |
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| | Is it a fire retardant or flame retardant paint? What is fire or flame retardant paint anyway? If one does exist what is its fire performance rating?
Steve Banks RCDDNightlake Ltd U.K. |
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| | I have contacted several plywood manufacturers and all have said if you paint their plywood you void the fire rating. |
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| Ron RCDD (2/27/2009)
I have contacted several plywood manufacturers and all have said if you paint their plywood you void the fire rating.Ron, Interesting...what was their reasoning? Could it have something to do with the moisture buildup in the wood? I have heard that some types of treated wood chars (protects) when exposed to fire. What if it was installed with a thin moisture barrier (between wall and board)?
A picture is worth a thousand words. |
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