Is James Hardie Siding Fire Rated

Nfpa 251 fire tests of building construction and materials.

Is james hardie siding fire rated.

A fiber cement product simply does not burn. However they do qualify for use in certain 1 hour fire rated warnock hersey and ul assemblies. Ul 263 fire tests of building construction and materials. While vinyl siding is technically non flammable it does warp and melt when close to flames.

Because of this the product itself is not 1 hour fire rated. This means that it is a non combustible cladding and will not ignite when exposed to direct flame or extreme heat nor will it contribute fuel to a fire. A homeowner cannot get any better fire safety quality than that. It is not 1 hour fire rated but it is still classified for use in certain 1 hour fire rated warnock hersey and ul assemblies.

Think of jh products as a pan used for cooking. It does not provide a good barrier for flames. Of course wood siding is rather vulnerable to fire due to its nature and building material. For homes that have a fireplace or live in areas vulnerable to wildfires an investment of james hardie siding could literally save lives.

All james hardie siding and trim materials from hardieplank lap siding to hardiepanel vertical siding to straight and staggered edge hardieshingle siding are rated as non combustible based on astm fire resistance tests. Ubc 7 1 94 uniform building code standard. Warnock hersey fire resistance rated wall assemblies warnock hersey product listings standards products are certified against astm iso en can cgsb can ulc 1 hour fire resistive rated wall assemblies click the link above each design number below represents a james hardie 1 hour fire resistive wall assembly jh fcs 60 01. James hardie siding products will not combust or spread flame and can be installed as part of a 1 hour fire resistance rated wall assembly which can help buy critical time for the homeowners to evacuate and fire professionals to extinguish flames a main reason it.

The astm rating for james hardie siding classifies it as non combustible. That said while james hardieplank siding won t allow fire to penetrate your home s interior it does allow heat to transfer. Read more about fire resistant cladding here. James hardie fiber cement siding is fire resistant which is a huge advantage compared to wood or vinyl siding.

Unless otherwise noted fire ratings apply to tests conducted on both sides.