Paul Chandler sees a trend in the world of fire fighting and he hopes to be at its forefront. As the owner of 1st State Fire & Mold Protection in Felton, Chandler offers homeowners and builders the No-Burn line of fire retardant products that will protect combustible materials from being set ablaze.

    “They’ll smolder and smoke but they won’t catch on fire,” he said.

    Chandler and his wife Sherry came upon the product in a magazine while looking for features to add to a home they were remodeling. The concept caught his eye and the couple now has the No-Burn selling rights for Delaware.

    A selection of wood, paint, fabric and even Christmas tree protection is offered by No-Burn, however, Chandler said the company keeps the secret to the flame-retardant ingredients well guarded.

    “Someone was working in the food industry and came across the fire-retardant product,” he said. “It was a food-grade product.”

    Chandler said the nontoxic fabric spray protects curtains, couches and other flammable materials from catching on fire without giving it a stiff feeling. The wood guard for exposed wood or attic spaces could be finished with a gloss while the paint product could work as a primer underneath a topcoat of paint, he said.

    The wood and paint guard products also can include mold-resistant ingredients to prohibit the growth of black mold, he said.

    Maine and New York have approved fire retardant applications such as the No-Burn products as options for builders and homeowners who don’t want the expense of installing pricey sprinkler systems, and Chandler said he is working on getting similar approval in Delaware.

    He estimated a sprinkler system for a small Cape Cod-style home could run approximately $15,000, while applying the same protection with No-Burn would run half that cost.

    To highlight the benefits of No-Burn, Chandler is holding a demonstration at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at the rear of the Sheraton Dover Hotel.

    For more information, call Chandler at 270-8504 or email him at chandlerclan@gmailcom.