International Barrier Technology Inc. California architects, builders and designers looking to meet new fire codes for wildfire-prone areas now have a new, eco-friendly alternative — Barrier Technology’s Blazeguard® fire-rated structural sheathing panels.
Blazeguard panels feature Pyrotite(TM), a patented, cementitious coating over either oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood of various dimensions. The coating not only resists ignition but adds structural strength to its underlying substrate.
Blazeguard has been added to the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) products list by the California Office of the State Fire Marshall, and is the only product listed under three different categories — exterior wall siding and sheathing, under eave, and ignition-resistant materials.
“Blazeguard provides improved shear strength along with a non-combustible layer preventing penetration of a fire from the outside into the structural members of a house,” says Michael Huddy, Barrier Technology President and CEO. “We offer strength and fire protection from a single panel, without the need for gypsum wallboard on the exterior of a house.”
New fire codes — Chapter 7A of the 2007 California Building Code — went into effect January 1, 2008, requiring more fire-resistant design and materials in Fire Hazard Severity Zones. A full description and listing of products approved for the zones can be found at www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/strucfireengineer/pdf/bml/wuiproducts.pdf.
Factory-applied Blazeguard not only provides builders a WUI-listed product and International Code Council (ICC) compliance (ICC ESR-1365), it offers an economically-friendly, labor-saving way to provide a non-combustible surface underneath traditional wood siding or roof shingles.
“Your product was really a life safer,” notes Behzad Kafaie, an architect with San Francisco-based Hart Howerton who is using Blazeguard in roof and wall applications on a house in Monterrey County. “Our customer insisted on traditional wood siding, wanted the look and feel of natural wood. We did not have to go for another layer of substrate over the plywood we already had. There were other products we might have tried to use to get the fire rating, but that would have added more cost and more weight. This answered our needs from a structural basis as well as meeting the new fire codes.”
The product is being distributed in California by Bear Forest Products of Riverside, Ca.
Further information on Barrier Technology and on Blazeguard Fire-Rated Sheathing can be found at www.intlbarrier.com or by calling 800-638-4570.
The Contour Lounge Chair by Murillo
Murillo, the Philippines based manufacturer has been involved in manufacturing furniture and home furnishings...
Contemporary Office Designs from Triple Five Design
Looking for modern interior inspiration for your office, here we got some preview of the contemporary...
The Gallery House designed by architect Richard Librach
Today’s modern house inspiration is coming from Richard Librach Architect, Toronto-based architectural...
Sign up to receive daily email updates of ArchiThings.Com headlines. Enter your email address below:
I purchased and used this product for a room with a wood stove. The product has many disadvantages and I would not use it again. Issues include heavy weight, the coating is hard ceramic like and is hard to start screws in and chips easily when nailed or screwed. The worst part was the coating of fiberglass fibers. Similar to a spider webs across the surface. It was very irritating worse then even handling fiberglass insulation itself. When cutting had to wear a mask, gloves, and a full body suit to prevent irritation of the lungs, throat and skin. The coating was hard on blades and dulled them quickly. And the coating with the fibers in it was hard to paint, not sand-able, and easy peeled off in sheets that left fibers standing up that made it difficult to paint. I would recommend sticking with a cement board product or fire rated gypsum board instead.