Will not ignite
Exposed directly to flame, fiber cement does not catch. Vinyl offers no protection and can melt; wood shingles can actively increase the risk.
It is normal to start an exterior project thinking about color and style, and those matter. Fire is the factor nobody wants to think about and the one with the highest stakes. Why choose a material that offers no protection, like vinyl, or one that can add to the risk, like wood shingles?
Non-combustible, Class A rated, and eligible for 1-hour fire rated wall assemblies.
Elite Preferred is James Hardie’s top contractor designation. Every Good Guys installer is Hardie Alliance certified.
Tested Fiber cement under direct flame exposure
James Hardie siding and shingles are made of asbestos-free fiber cement: sand, cement and cellulose. There is nothing in the board for a flame to consume.
It will not ignite when exposed to flame and will not contribute fuel to a fire. Under ASTM E84, the standard surface burning test, James Hardie products carry a Class A rating with a flame spread index of zero, and they qualify for 1-hour fire rated wall assemblies where building codes require them.
Exposed directly to flame, fiber cement does not catch. Vinyl offers no protection and can melt; wood shingles can actively increase the risk.
The highest surface burning classification under the standard test, with a flame spread index of zero.
Qualifies for 1-hour fire rated wall assemblies, which some building codes require, particularly on tight lot lines.
A fire that reaches the wall does not get anything from it. That is what buys the time that matters.
On Long Island and in Brooklyn, houses sit close together. Most of the fire risk to your house starts at somebody else's.
Many property and casualty insurers discount for fiber cement siding. One call to your representative is worth making before you choose material.
It gave my husband time to get my young sons up and out of the house.
In 2010 a fire at a house under construction spread to the Freemans' home next door. The site of the fire was destroyed in minutes; the Freemans' James Hardie siding delayed the fire for roughly 15 minutes. The roof eventually caught and the house was damaged. The family got out.
According to the Nassau County Fire Commission, both the number of fires and the cost of the damage have been rising, driven by wildfires, barbecue fires, and gas and propane incidents, and by how quickly fire now spreads. December 2020 alone, partly from holiday lighting, accounted for $7.3 million in damage.
Suffolk County covers more ground, runs drier for longer, and carries the added risk of fire spreading out of the Pine Barrens.
A 1-hour fire rated wall assembly is a specified construction: sheathing, framing, cladding and fasteners, built to a particular detail. It performs because it was built to the specification, not because one component was bought.
That is one of several reasons we are an Elite Preferred contractor and every installer on your job is Hardie Alliance certified. We also issue our own workmanship warranty separate from the James Hardie material warranty.
No, and anyone who tells you a house can be made fireproof is selling something. James Hardie fiber cement is non-combustible: it will not ignite when exposed to flame and will not contribute fuel to a fire. That is a meaningful difference from vinyl, which offers no protection, and from wood shingles, which can increase the risk.
Class A is the highest surface burning classification under ASTM E84, the standard flame spread test. James Hardie fiber cement products carry a Class A rating with a flame spread index of zero. They also qualify for 1-hour fire rated wall assemblies, which some building codes require.
It can. Many property and casualty insurers offer a discount to homeowners with fiber cement siding. It is worth one phone call to your insurance representative before you decide on material, because the answer may change the maths.
The 1-hour rated assemblies do, yes. A fire rated wall assembly is a specified build-up, not a single product, and it only performs if it is built to the specification. That is one of several reasons certification matters.
It buys time, which is the thing that matters most. In 2010 a fire at a house under construction in Carrollton, Texas spread to the Freeman family's home next door. The neighboring structure was destroyed in minutes; the Freemans' James Hardie siding delayed the fire long enough for the family to get out. The roof eventually caught and the house was damaged, but nobody was hurt.
If your lot line is tight or your code requires a rated wall, tell us on the call and we will scope it properly.