Fireproof Wood Siding

Chemical flame retardant sprays help improve the fire resistance of this house siding material.

Fireproof wood siding.

One stylish and affordable option to consider is fiber cement siding. An alternative to vinyl siding fiber cement a mixture of cement sand and wood fibers manages to achieve very high fire resistance without sacrificing convenience and durability. Even with more classic profiles fiber cement provides a unique and updated look. Note that most fiber cement sidings require a gypsum board underlayment to reach their maximum efficacy.

Fiber cement shingles and clapboards made from a mix of portland cement sand and wood usually carry a class a fire rating which means they can withstand 2 to 4 hours of high heat before your home s structure starts to fail. As we ve said before they don t call it ironwood for nothing. If you have been through a fire and are in the process of rebuilding there are many solid reasons to consider using ipe wood as siding decking and fencing. When it comes to fire resistant wood the king is ipe wood of course.

Unlike wood siding fiber cement siding doesn t burn even under extreme heat. 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. Most of these options come with a class a fire rating. The secret to fiber cement s durability is also what makes it fire resistant.

Ibhs coatings and wildfire fact sheet 1mb pdf siding materials and coatings. However there can be concern over the chemical properties and potential off gassing of these products. Flammable materials like wood are often made resistant to a fire by the use of flame retardants. A class a rating means that the material can withstand as much as four hours of intense heat before significant damage occurs.

While that may be the case for firewood wood siding is different. Steel siding not only offers protection against a fire it is also naturally resistant and does not require the use of fire resistant treatments. Alternatively vintagewood siding brings the warm look of hardwood outside creating eye catching visual contrast with the peace of mind that comes from having a cementitious ignition resistant exterior. California fire research laboratory has shown that when ignited compressed wood particle or fiber siding products and wood shingle siding will result in more rapid vertical flame spread up the wall and more rapid penetration.

Fire resistant exterior siding.