Human beings are creative, dynamic, versatile, and occasionally get up to activities that are, shall we say… questionable. When it comes to developing residential structures, architects and contractors must understand that at some point someone will knock over a lit candle, leave a burner on or walk away from an outdoor grill, for example.
Accidents still happen no matter how responsible we are, and it only takes one incident involving fire to bring down even the finest structures. For these reasons and more, we must take care in choosing the most fire resistant materials for residential developments. Here are a few tips you can use during the planning phases of your residential building projects.
The class A fire-rating is a category of materials with A1 and A2 level fire-ratings.
A1-rated materials are considered to have the highest level of fire resistance. These include concrete, stone, metals, and more. These materials are excellent for non-combustible external areas using paving or decking.
A2-rated materials possess relatively high flame resistance. They will resist catching fire during contact with light to medium flame or sparks. However, should prolonged contact with flame or high heat occur, these materials may melt or catch fire. Only under extreme fire conditions will these materials contribute to the spread of an active fire, however and are considered non-combustible alongside A1-rated products.
A2-rated materials are also good for exterior spaces as they offer no significant contribution to the spread of active flame.
Materials rated class-B offer a limited contribution to the spread of an active flame. They will produce smoke, flaming droplets, or particles if they come into contact with intense or prolonged heat, direct flame, or sparks. While these materials do offer a limited level of flame and heat resistance, they have no flash-over in standard corner reference tests.
For contrast, class c-rated materials will flash over after ten minutes of exposure to direct flame, intense heat, or a persistent shower or sparks.
In general, materials rated at either the A1 or A2 fire resistance level are recommended for exterior spaces. Such spaces where communal cooking or other potentially flame related activities can be reasonably expected to take place are best served by materials with the highest level of flame and heat resistance.
It’s also worth noting that class A fire-rated materials are also highly resistant to seasonal temperatures, rain, humidity, corrosion, and mould.
Fire ratings should always be a primary concern when choosing materials for any space. Even living spaces that are not meant to contain heat or flame are still susceptible to human error – something that should always be taken into account when designing residential spaces.
The Outdoor Deck Company is one of the UK’s largest suppliers and installers of external high-quality decking.
Our extensive hands-on experience means we can provide you with the safest and most robust solution to whatever space you are working on.
We prides ourselves on being client-focused with a commitment to providing specifiers with products that meets and exceed the required specification, alongside ongoing technical support that ensures every installation is on spec, on time and on budget.
If you have a project you would like to discuss, speak to one of our experts today.