At this time, with surface applied systems, the possibility for errors in the estimating stages are great and could be very costly in the end. Two other issues with surface applied intumescents are proper installation and maintenance. Door manufacturers do not supply surface applied intumescents. They will have to be specified and provided in the hardware specification just like weather-stripping. With that the installer is responsible for the proper application.
Maintenance is another issue for surface applied applications.
Intumescents are soft and relatively easy to tear. If exposed to a flame, such as a cigarette lighter, they will ignite and begin to expand. The potential for vandalism is great. The alternative is for the door to be constructed with the intumescents concealed in the door edges. Since each door manufacturer has done their own testing with concealed intumescents, they know the exact limitations of their product and the hardware that is compatible.