These reading lofts are in schools and there is no help in getting them resolved. I have seen these lofts located in schools that are unsprinkled. Check out this link to view the video. www.flameoffcoatings.com
Schools have been warned of the problem and have ignored the situation. Fire inspectors across the US have been trying to get the school lofts protected and have had no support from the schools. If these school lofts caught fire the school could be lost in a matter of minutes.
A Intumescent Coating is something that has valid test results and can do what it claims in the test. A fire coating has a time-rating that can go anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours. Coatings can be used where E-119 assemblies (Horizontal and Vertical) are required. Those test must be achieved be a ICC certified lab and come with plenty of documentation about Intumescent Paint. .
A Fire Retardant is something that deals flame spread. It deals with Class 'A', Class 'B', and Class 'C'. These cannot be used in anything but fabrics and interior finishes. The most stringent test in the fire retardant market is the Room Corner Test. About 2% of fire retardant companies have the room corner test. 98% of fire retardants have the E-84 test. Flame Retardant Spray