Darkroom wall color?

DREW WILEY said:

What thhhh ... FRP = Fire Resistant Panel. ORDERED AND SOLD AS SUCH, LABELED AND SPECIFICALLY RATED AS SUCH, RECOGNIZED BY THE FIRE MARSHALL AS SUCH. I was one of the buyers for the corporation which sold it for many years, including to the military. You're confusing this with something else, apparently more generic, cramej. I meant it in a specific manner, according to actual rated specifications. Please be aware that consumer and web outlets like Home Depot make up names for lumber and products that deviate from actual engineering specs, basically marketing BS terminology. We did it by true engineering standards, specifically stamped on the item. It was a pro and Govt clientele. No BS allowed. And FRP in that context meant fire resistant, not just any kind of plastic. Our biggest customer was the US Navy; but that later gave way to defense contractors, in relation to that particular line of items. No relation to plywood or ornamental plastic, though it makes a fine washable surface if one is willing to pay a premium for fire resistance too. Don't confuse my meaning with products like Marlite, which does use "FRP" in the sense you did.

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FRP as fiberglass reinforced panel is no marketing BS and I'm not confusing it with something generic. It's used in numerous industries named as such. My personal experience was in the signage industry. The hospitality industry and medical industry also uses the material. All those bathrooms with white textured wall panels - FRP. You can get FRP rated as fire resistant. Do an internet search for FRP panel and everything is ......fiberglass reinforced plastic.

I'm not discounting your experience. Context is important and in the context of gov't or military clients FRP could very well mean that they want a fire resistant panel. But if you ask most people what FRP is, they'll likely tell you fiberglass reinforced plastic. You seem to have a background and experience in industrial/commercial materials that is far beyond what most people would ever encounter.

I think we can agree that plastic != fire resistant panel in the context of protecting one's walls from heat damage.

Signage, not relevant application. We had a major sign company in one of our leased-out warehouses. Yes, common in ugly bathrooms, like gas station restrooms, where fire resistance might or might not be mandated, depending on local codes. We didn't sell to "most people" - only 2% of the company clientele was direct to home owners etc. We were the biggest seller for the distributor in general. So yes, the construction or industrial or military application also locks in the terminology. We knew the difference. But in very tightly monitored areas in terms of fire risk, the two definitions (yours and mine) basically overlap; mere ornamental or washable wouldn't pass inspection here. They wanted to see the rating label, just like they expect to see the empty tube of pricey fire resistant caulking when inspecting a restaurant, and not just any kind of red caulk. It's almost a regional distinction. This is the SF Bay Area, with infamous earthquake and fire risk. The Military is even more stringent. Go inland towards the big developer subdivisions, and everything changes - it's all bribes out there, rather than quality materials or tight inspections; Home Depot country.

I did sell a lot of Festool rail saws to the signage trade. Best way to cut even fragile honeycomb plastic panels. Had a major artist that did giant (up to 60 ft long) origami-like folded alum honeycomb panels like that, printed on with iridescent photos holographically - really amazing stuff for big architectural lobby installations, kinda like 3d cubism gone psychedelic. It's possible to get scoring blades specifically for fold-overs, but I sold him a rail router for scoring, and rail saw for the cuts. My classification of FRP is difficult to cut with saws, but Fein has an appropriate blade for their expensive industrial Supercut line of oscillating tools; I was the only US dealer to import these blades. Retired now.