Bonfire mats

[WHARTY]

Was at a school firework display a few weeks ago at a local school.
They really wanted a bonfire but they couldn't because they didn't want to ruin the grass.

It got me thinking how many other schools or people who have a big gardens would like to have a bonfire but wont because of the damage they cause.

Would a matt that is fire proof and strong enough to take the weight of a bonfire be a good invention or product to sell or rent out?

The mat could have eyelets for rope so when a skip wagon comes it can be emptied into the skip and the mat reused for next year.

Maybe smaller versions for the armed forces and scouts etc when camping out and not wanting to leave a trail?

Just a thought, what do you think?

 

[Jeff FV]

... dunno, but it does remind me of when I used to run the boarding in a school several years ago.

I decided that it'd be a good idea to have a bonfire on the Saturday night closest to November the 5th. I identified a bit of the school grounds that was out of site & out of mind and built a bonfire. We had a great time, but it did leave a great big black scorch mark!

About a year later, I noticed the first green shoots as the grass was beginning to grow back - just as I began to build the bonfire for that year!

A good idea if you can get it to work.

Jeff

 

[S-Marketing]

There is probably enough asbestos in the average school to make their own mats. Just get the kids up in the roof spaces and pulling apart partition walls and they will find it.

 

[Barnie]

you develope a soft material that can take 120-1800 degrees for 12 hours and you will be a rich man.

most fire proof materials have a short span so it would break down after time. also the materials would be in compressive state which counteracts the properties

even fire bricks although stop most, allow some heat through, doesnt take much to kill off the grass



there are a few materials that are amazing like airgel, but the cost is eye watering

 

[tony84]

My grandad has a few bricks - normal bricks.
Puts them on the grass 1 high and then has a sheet of metal and has a small-ish (maybe 4ft) fire on that.

Does the job, grass is fine the next day as far as im aware.

 

[Talay]

The answer would appear not to be building the bonfire on the fragile grass but rather on the more substantial concrete would it not ?

 

[Mitch3473]

Bloody good idea....used to have a chipper so that we didn't have to burn and leave big scars on the land.Took the ends of my fingers off so back to burning.Such a mat or similar would be a godsend.

 

[WHARTY]

Right just need to find some material to take the weight and heat!

Uhmm, wonder if i could borrow some of those tiles of the redundant Orbitors at NASA.

 

[Talay]

Right just need to find some material to take the weight and heat!

Uhmm, wonder if i could borrow some of those tiles of the redundant Orbitors at NASA.

Nah, they keep falling off and are easily dislodges by polystyrene !

 

I should talk to the fire service as they use fireproof materials.

 

[PrestonLad]

Could be a good idea, if you manage to find a technical solution.

People must spend hundreds on fireworks, so an extra sum for your blanket might be affordable

 

[lynxus]

GREAT idea...

However I dont thinks possible ( yet ) to create a sheet that can stop that kind of heat!

 

[WHARTY]

I should talk to the fire service as they use fireproof materials.

Good idea Sirearl. Just been looking at fire blankets and welding blankets.
The welding blankets can take 1000 degrees centigrade! not sure it would take it for 12 hours though!!

 

[mobyme]

The answer would appear not to be building the bonfire on the fragile grass but rather on the more substantial concrete would it not ?

Never under any circumstances build a bonfire on top of concrete. I'm not sure how hot it has to get but once it reaches whatever the critical heat is the concrete will explode like a grenade. It happened to bunch of us when I was in my teens when we built a small campfire on top of a concrete hard standing. It's something to do with the air and moisture trapped inside it expanding. How some of us weren't killed I'll never know but the explosion was incredible and left a huge crater.

 

[Christine Hough]

We built a small fire on rocks (as in dry river bed) when I was a child and they started splitting and shooting out too!

 

[Moneyman]

I do one on the lawn every year. i just cut out a huge area of turf and afterwards give the area a quick dig over and stick the grass back down. Come the spring all is normal.