Fire Performance
Innovative Solutions for
Choose a tab above to get started
Why fire performance is important...
Learn the FACTS about fire
CertainTeed Solutions
With the most comprehensive product line in the industry, CertainTeed has everything you need to satisfy even the toughest building codes and customer demands for any new build, retrofit or remodel. We’ve made it our mission to prepare you for fire safety on any job, big or small.
Click to view larger
...In fact, after the point in which they meet code, extra doesn't matter and they all perform similarly, when it comes to real world applications. GO BACK
While products marketed with higher fire performance ratings may seem better... READ MORE
After the point in which they meet code, all materials perform similarly.
The main purpose of fire codes is to give occupants as much time as possible to evacuate before flash over occurs.
If your assembly includes drywall, that is your wall's first line of defense in fire protection.
Did you know?
Building Codes help support fire safety.
TYPE V allows any code-permitted materials
TYPES III & IV require non-combustible construction for exterior walls and code-permitted wood construction for interior walls
TYPES I & II require non-combustible building materials, such as iron, steel, concrete and masonry
5 Building Construction Types:
Building codes support fire safety
SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Building codes require that fire products and assemblies resist flame spread and smoke development for extended periods of time
Smoke from building fires accounted for 73% of fire-related deaths
73%
61
SECONDS
On average, structural fires occur in the U.S. every 61 seconds throughout the year.
Safety is #1
Building Codes
Why Insulation Matters
Learn the Facts About Fire
is important...
Why Fire Performance
The most comfortable, easy to install Class A Fire Rated Batt
Fiber glass insulation is made from sand and other inorganic materials which are melted and then spun into fiber glass. Fiber glass is naturally noncombustible and remains so for the life of the product. It requires no additional fire-retardant chemical treatments. Unfaced fiber glass insulation also is recognized by building code groups as an acceptable fire stop in residential wood frame walls.
Fire resistance is an important attribute of any insulation material...
smoke developed index
SDI
flame spread index
FSI
These ratings are determined in accordance with ASTM E 84, Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building.
Wall and ceiling surfaces are rated by their:
Regarding Fire Safety, non-combustibility is key - building materials installed in building systems must not ignite and react to fire prior to flashover; otherwise, they will only accelerate the growth stage and limit the amount of time that occupants have to evacuate. Resistance is also important to prevent the spread of fire between rooms and units; however, reducing the ability for the fire to react is the first step in building material selection regarding fire safety.
Ignition
Fuel, oxygen and heat join together in a sustained chemical reaction. At this stage, a fire extinguisher can control the fire. This stage of a fire is generally rather small and can be managed.
With the initial flame as a heat source, additional fuel ignites. Convection and radiation ignite more surfaces. The size of the fire increases and the plume reaches the ceiling. Hot gases collecting at the ceiling transfer heat, allowing all fuels in a room to come closer to their ignition temperature at the same time.
Flash-over
Fire has spread over much if not all available fuel; temperatures reach their peak, resulting in heat damage. Oxygen is consumed rapidly. This is the hottest stage of a fire.
Fully developed fire
The fire consumes available fuel, temperatures decrease, fire gets less intense. This is the longest stage of a fire.
Cooling phase
Click here to see a video demonstrating the Flash Over phase.
It's important to understand the phases of a fire:
Phases of a Fire
Reaction vs. Resistance
Fire Ratings
Insulation & Fire Resistance
CertainTeed's Unfaced and FSK-25 faced Sustainable Insulation batts meet the applicable requirements of Section 720 of the 2012 and 2015 IBC and Section 602 of the 2012 and 2015 IMC (Mechanical Code). The products meet code requirements for non-combustibility; they have a flame spread index not greater than 25, a smoke development index not greater than 50, and are listed and labeled with UL for these flame spread and smoke developed properties.
Plenums
Sprinkler Mid-Floor
Exposed Applications
CertainTeed's Unfaced Sustainable Insulation paired with MemBrain or Sustainable Insulation FSK are ideal solutions for fire safety in situations where the insulation will be left exposed because they meet the highest standards of Fire Safety for Flame Spread and Smoke Development (ASTM E84) - Class A.
Unfaced insulation often requires a separate vapor retarder.
CertainTeed's MemBrain Continuous Air Barrier & Smart Vapor Retarder not only blocks moisture from entering the cavity like typical vapor retarders, but intelligently manages moisture by adapting it permeability and allowing moisture to escape while maintaining air tightness.
Click to view spec sheets
is available in:
FSK Faced (Class A fire rated)
Kraft Faced
Unfaced (Class A fire rated)
Other types of insulation may be naturally noncombustible, but Sustainable Insulation is more economical, more flexible and lighter weight
Accepted as a fire block in wood frame walls under international and many local building codes
Meets Class A Standards under ASTM E84 testing
Classified as noncombustible under ASTM E136 testing
Click to view product catalog
Naturally noncombustible, unfaced Sustainable Insulation requires no chemical additives to provide the fire protection that helps give your customers peace of mind.
Special Applications
Why Fire Performance is Important...
DOWN
SCROLL
about fire.
Learn the facts...
salessupportgroup@certainteed.com
www.certainteed.com/insulation
Professional: 800-233-8990 Consumer: 800-782-8777
CertainTeed Corporation 20 Moores Road Malvern, PA 19355
Contact Us
Solutions.
The choice of insulation material is a question of life and death.
FALSE
ANSWER: The choice of insulation material is a question of life and death.
TRUE
Stone wool resists temperatures higher than 1000°C.
ANSWER: Stone wool resists temperatures higher than 1000°C.
fire
knowledge!
Test your
This means more product options for you!
While products marketed with higher fire performance ratings may seem better...
In fact, after the point in which they meet code, extra doesn't matter and they all perform similarly, when it comes to fire resistance in real world applications.
The main purpose of fire codes is to give occupants as much time as possible to evacuate before the flash over occurs.
Roll over or click the icons to learn more. {Roll-over text turns into short description of what each icon means in relation to CT products.}
in your
insulation product.
What to look for...
Click on a topic you'd like to explore.
With the most comprehensive product line in the industry, CertainTeed has everything you need to satisfy even the toughest building codes and customer demands for any new build, retrofit or remodel. We’ve made it our mission to prepare you for fire safety on any job, big or small. Choose a tab to get started.
