Following recent events, it’s really important to know the fire standards of the cladding you’re using on buildings. By law, all buildings above 18 metres in height need to have cladding which is fire rated. Most cladding has some sort of protection built in, but only those which are FR should be used on these taller buildings.
These ratings range from an A1 to a D in accordance with European Standards EN-13501-1.
Class A1 – Products are described as having no contribution to fire at any stage. BS EN 13501 sets several thresholds for combustion performance when tested to both EN ISO 1716 and EN ISO 1182. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 2MJ/kg. Typical products meeting this classification include most inorganic materials such as metal and stone.
Class A2, s3, d2 – Products are described as having no significant contribution to fire at any stage. BS EN 13501 sets several thresholds for combustion when tested to EN ISO 1182, or both EN ISO 1716 and EN 13823. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 3MJ/kg. A typical product meeting this classification is plasterboard.For comparison, Wood has a typical value of 15 MJ/Kg.
Some products use a slightly different fire classification known as the BR 135 standard, set by the BRE (Building Research Establishment). When using a cladding product that is classified using this method, a full classification report must be supplied to prove compliance with BR 135.
For full information on the fire rating of a specific product, get in touch with us. We’d be more than happy to help.
Natural, cloudy and unique
Avera is a naturally dried and through-coloured fibre cement panel with a dynamic production process that gives it an unmistakably natural and authentic texture. The colour range around Avera is composed of versatile and combinable shades that ideally bring out the cloudy look of the colour line. The highly resistant standard coating makes these panels particularly scratch-resistant and protects them from heavy soiling and graffiti. The transparent coating allows the natural appearance of the fibre cement to shine through, creating a lively surface look with varied texture and dynamic colour tones.
»Due to the transparent coating, the natural and cloudy appearance of fibre cement comes to the fore. Each Avera fibre cement panel is unique in its colour appearance.«
comes in a range of colour