Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Nov 14, 2018 2:10 pm Hi All, Have timber on a large room downstairs & the second storey of our house. Was looking at possibly replacing with a different type of cladding. The parts of the house that are timber clad are cold in winter & hot in summer so was looking at my options for insulation as well. Started looking at vinyl cladding with polystyrene insulation but when I started to do my research it looks like it is a fire risk & may even be a potential issue with home insurance in the future. As with a lot of things, it seems to be a bit of a rabbit hole that you can dive into once you start digging. I have come up with some information already like some standards relating to fire safety, AS 1530.1 & AS 5113. I also found this article that seems to have a lot of information: https://kerinbensonlawyers.com.au/tag/building-cladding-crisis/ I will contact my home insurer before taking the plunge but I suspect that the rules/guidelines are still in a state of flux at the moment. Does anyone have any practical advice or know of any certified non-combustible options that are a reasonable price? Thanks in Advance, Salty Re: External cladding to replace timber - fire safety, insul 2Nov 14, 2018 2:25 pm Well, polysterene itself will not ignite easily as it is generally protected with flame retardants.
But when it and vinyl (PVC) catch fire, the fumes will be extremely poisonous. Also, if you use polystyrene not from the leading manufacturers, it will off-gas with cancerogen due to HBCD flame retardant component they add to it. Leading manufacturers are already using alternative materials, but the majority is still producing in old way with HBCD. HBCD was the reason why EPS/XPS insulation was banned in Europe and many places in the US. Another problem with EPS/XPS, that once you close your house with EPS/XPS, your walls won't be breathable anymore and you will be feeling it straightaway - moisture and mold can become an issue very quickly. If you want some good quality insulation, I would advice you to strongly consider Knauf Jet Stream MAX blow-in glasswool insulation - it is ecological, non-combustible, breathable and doesn't cost as much as good quality XPS. As it is a blow-in, you can put it behind virtually any type of cladding (just don't go with vinyl! It is the worst material you can ever think of for the cladding!). Ideally I would go with Hebel Panels, they will also add to your insulation, but they need to be rendered, which is costly. So may be Hardie boards + Jet Stream Max will do the job for you. Jet Stream Max Web site is here: https://www.snugandsound.com.au/product/jet-stream-max/ Re: External cladding to replace timber - fire safety, insul 3Nov 14, 2018 2:31 pm Thanks Alex, appreciate the reply. Re my second point – yes exactly. And often it may take additional time if the manufacturer recommends no more than X meters… 3 5635 Hi everyone. I am a single mother with little daughter, living in a small tourist town in WA Australia. I am thinking to install security screens to all the doors and… 0 23464 ok thanks - yes was wondering if that should have been listed as Option Three! 2 7741 |