Nordtreat is a pioneer in the fire protection of wood products

Nordtreat is a Finnish manufacturer of a new generation of flame retardants. We believe that the demand for industrially fire protected wood products will increase remarkably, on a global scale, during the next decade. In order to ensure product development and high quality, we have centralised the production of our flame retardants in Finland. 

“I believe that Nordtreat’s new product development unit will promote the development of flame retardants in Finland remarkably,” says Professor Carl-Eric Wilén from Åbo Akademi whose laboratory has started active collaboration with Nordtreat.

Increasing the proportion of environmentally friendly timber construction and developing the industrial manufacturing of wood products are national objectives for many countries all over the world. Nordtreat supports these aims by developing and producing non-toxic and widely tested flame retardants that are especially well suited for sustainable timber construction.

Wooden facades, elements and interior surfaces treated with Nordtreat flame retardants can be found in almost all Finnish timber apartment buildings that have been built in recent years as well as in many public and commercial buildings. Nordtreat products are also used in other Nordic countries, Baltic countries, Central Europe, the UK, Australia and the United States.

FIRE PROTECTED WOOD PRODUCTS ARE REQUIRED IN MANY BUILDINGS

Beautiful and durable timber is a desired material for the exterior surfaces of buildings as well as for building elements and interior spaces. Wood products may have to meet the requirements of fire class B-s1, d0, depending on the building type and its height. Such buildings include timber apartment buildings, care facilities and large commercial and office buildings.

Ojanperänkangas school, Liminka

Typical fire protected wood products include interior and cladding panels, CLT and LVL structures as well as lattice and slat structures used to liven up external walls.

When wood products are appropriately treated with Nordtreat flame retardants, they typically meet the requirements of fire class B-s1, d0. This means that wood products protected with our retardants contribute to a fire to a very limited extent, their smoke production is very limited and they do not produce flaming droplets.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING

The translucent Nordtreat flame retardants combine the following features to promote sustainability:

• Durable certified fire protection
• Safety and environmental friendliness
• Cost-effectiveness
• Maintaining the natural appearance of wood
• The treatment also improves weather resistance and strengthens the wood’s natural protection against mould and decay.

“These features have been achieved through long and uncompromising product development, testing and certification processes,” says Ari Risku. He is Nordtreat’s production director and one of the company’s founders.

“Our aim is to promote sustainable timber construction all over the world. We want to be a pioneer in our field, which is reflected in our close cooperation with research institutes as well as our certified production process.

We also offer support services to the manufacturers of wood products to help them with the certification of their fire protection treatments. In addition, we provide up-to-date information and advice about the fire protection of wood products for architects, structural designers, developers and construction companies.”

Ari Risku, Production Director at Nordtreat

HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

The know-how acquired during a period of over ten years has made the company more known and increased the demand for the Nordtreat products.  The products have been given the Finnish Key Flag symbol.

During the year, 2019, over 500,000 m² of wooden surfaces ready for installation were protected with flame retardants produced at the factory. Production volumes will grow rapidly as timber construction increases in Finland and the rest of the world. By the end of 2019, the modern production facility will have 20 employees.

The demand for fire protected wood products is growing especially in Europe, North America and Australia. Nordtreat’s strengths in such a competitive market are its carefully tested, certified and non-toxic products as well as its quality certified Nordic production process. The company’s product development and testing partners are some of Europe’s leading accredited laboratories, research institutes and universities. Nordtreat products are sold to international markets through an extensive partner network.