Products and services such as fire extinguishers, sprinklers, wet rooms, welds, etc. require certification. Fire retardant treated wood is no exception, but there remains a problem with a lack of documentation.

To compare, take the associated area of wood durability: For most people, it is an unreasonable idea that, for example, glulam, finger-jointed wood, truss elements or wooden joists with e.g. C24 durability requirements, would be sold completely without certification documentation. However, this is often the case in the business of fire retardant treated wood.

It is of great importance that you as an expert fire consultant can distinguish between a fire test report and a classification report, which is not a certification of the product nor the manufacturer. The only types of documentation that should be used are certification documents such as CE markings together with a DoP according to the current harmonized product standard and, if it is not possible to CE mark, type approval certificates. Worth knowing is that CE marking does not mean that national building regulations are complied with. There may be national regulations that is not covered by the CE marking. By stipulating CE-marked and Type-Approved products, it is ensured that Boverket's building rules and the Plan and Building Act (PBL) are complied with. One example of national requirements not covered by the CE marking is SP-Fire 105 and resistance requirements.

Remember that fire retardant treatment of wood is a tried and tested area of technology. Be vigilant of low-cost solutions that lack the necessary documentation. Fire retardant treatments require knowledge and the right technology, and above all, the supplier must be under the production control of a third party, such as RISE.