Is Vinyl Siding Combustible

A tiny flame from a candle touched papers that melted vinyl siding and set off a fire that raced unnoticed up three floors.

Is vinyl siding combustible.

Many homeowners looking for a fire resistant house siding may consider products such as vinyl which are technically non flammable as well. Plus vinyl siding is approved for use in all types of construct1 including ion non combustible rated structures up to 40 feet tall one hour fire rated assemblies wild fire zones and other fire resistive construction. Fiber cement siding won t ignite burn or melt when exposed to either heat or flames. Vinyl is designed to resist water intrusion.

In the uk and new zealand a similar material is known. Again brick was not studied because it is not combustible. Note the condition of its vinyl siding. Other fires involving homes with vinyl siding have been more serious.

Facts about vinyl siding according to fire rescue. Aluminum siding t 111 plywood and vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is plastic exterior siding for houses and small apartment buildings used for decoration and weatherproofing imitating wood clapboard board and batten or shakes and used instead of other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding it is an engineered product manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride pvc resin. A report published by fire engineering pointed to a national institute of standards and technology nist study by dan madryzkowski which compared the combustibility of three siding materials.

Pvc has one of the lowest flame spread. An alternative to vinyl siding fiber cement a mixture of cement sand and wood fibers manages to achieve very high fire resistance without sacrificing convenience and durability many fiber cement products carry a class a fire rating meaning that they can withstand several hours of heat before melting down. The difference though is how the product holds up to heat. This house is about 20 feet away.

The original aluminum siding still in place on the dormer has been removed exposing the combustible asphalt impregnated low density fiberboard sheathing that is visible on the gable. Vinyl siding is fire resistant harder to ignite and easier to extinguish. Fiber cement can withstand high heat from fires. A virginia fire in 2004 was described by the washington post this way.