Because sometimes it needs to look good, too
Keep in mind that just because you are applying special coatings for fire rating your structural steel, that no one is going to see it. In many cases the structural elements of the building will in fact be exposed to the view of the public — a prime example of this is in stairway areas. One of the advantages of using thin-film intumescents over other types of materials is that they can be applied as a base coat over the surface of the metal — on both the protective and decorative finishes. With this type of coating, you can easily prepare your metal surfaces so that they have a beautiful, high-quality finish. Remember: protection is the main thing, but sometimes it needs to also look good as well.