A Fire Resistant House Siding Material

Siding materials and coatings.

A fire resistant house siding material.

The secret to fiber cement s durability is also what makes it fire resistant. However there can be concern over the chemical properties and potential off gassing of these products. It s a primary building block in many energy star rated homes. Booster says building with materials that are sustainable long lasting and fire resistant will cost about 30 percent more than it would have if he had chosen a typical wood frame design.

Steel siding not only offers protection against a fire it is also naturally resistant and does not require the use of fire resistant treatments. Flammable materials like wood are often made resistant to a fire by the use of flame retardants. When properly installed against fire resistant materials plaster siding also known as stucco regularly achieves a one hour fire rating. Many fires occur when flames get behind the siding and ignite on the more combustible materials inside the walls of your home.

Brick and stone are other types of fire resistant house siding material. Concrete one of the most common building materials is also an excellent fire resistant material it is noncombustible and has low thermal conductivity meaning that it takes a long time for fire to affect its structural load bearing ability and it protects from the spread of fire. The california building code defines the terms based on a material s ability to pass a standard test. Manufactured using a highly effective fire retardant and underlaid with a fire resistant barrier this assembly is one of only a few synthetic roofing materials to get ul s class a fire rating.

To protect the base of the siding where wood sills may overhang the foundation consider putting a perimeter of crushed stone so fire can t get a foothold adjacent to the house. That means homeowners have up to an hour before the material will give into the heat of a fire and begin spreading flames into the interior walls. Unlike wood siding fiber cement siding doesn t burn even under extreme heat. Expect to pay between 6 50 and 8 50 per square foot installed.

Icfs mean little however without flame resistant roofing and siding. It also may help to keep flames away from the rest of your house since it doesn t have caulked joints. Siding products can be classified into three basic categories. 90 of the planks are made of materials that won t burn giving fiber cement siding a class 1 a fire flame spread rating the highest classification available.