Australia is a country of contrasts from the boiling hot sun of summer to the freezing snow of winter and everything in between; from cyclones to bush fires to floods, from harsh salt air to invasive red dust, it is a land of extremes.
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Building Code Compliance FAQ
BCA Compliance Document Class 1 – 10
BCA Compliance Document Class 2 – 9
Physical Properties Guide
What is Weathertex made from?
Weathertex is 97% Australian hardwood timber and 3% natural wax for added water resistance and durability. Water based primer is then applied to the surface of some products.
How does Weathertex rate in an office or house fire?
Weathertex complies with the most up-to-date building codes and standards. While there is a degree of confusion in the industry about some reconstituted timber products, Weathertex cladding has been comprehensively tested to meet the strict fire requirements of the Building Code of Australia. Weathertex is classified as a Group 3 material and tests results for smoke and flame indices (AS1530.3) and specific extinction area (AS/NZS 3837) are available in the Weathertex Physical Properties Certificate to assist with fire safety design.
How does Weathertex rate in bushfire prone areas?
Weathertex has similar properties to most fire resistant timber species; our products have been assessed by a third party for verification to the bushfire standard. The Australian Standard AS3959: Construction of Buildings in Bush fire Prone Areas provides the framework for what is now acceptable in building throughout most of Australia. Weathertex is suitable for use in BAL-LOW, BAL-12.5 and BAL-19 construction levels. The BAL rating determines the product’s resistance to the direct radiant heat in the event of a bushfire. Check with your local authorities to establish what is acceptable in your location.
How does Weathertex ratein high-wind areas?
Weathertex installation systems have been tested as per verification test method AS 4040 for cyclonic and non-cyclonic wind zones. Product and application specific test reports are available on request. Design test pressure and wind zone classification has been determined as per AS 4055. Wind zone ratings specific to product and application method can be found in the Weathertex Installation Manual for cyclonic and non-cyclonic regions.
What other certifications has Weathertex Obtained?
Weathertex operations are controlled under a SAI Global Certified ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Laboratory monitoring is completed in accordance with the specified test methods in AS 1859.4. Weathertex’s timber supply is sourced from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources as part of a certified AS 4707 Chain of Custody System. This system underpins Weathertex’s PEFC license through the Australian Forestry Standard. Weathertex Weatherboards, Architectural Panels and associated installation methods have undergone independent assessment and type testing by the New Zealand BRANZ and French Avis Technique appraisal systems.
How high can you build Weathertex Products?
The 9.5mm thick Weathertex hardboard cladding is designed for residential and commercial type buildings and can be built up as high as four storeys. Deemed to satisfy provisions in the BCA allow Weathertex to be used in Type A fire construction up to 4 stories however, applications above four stories may require engineering assessment to support the design as an “alternate solution.” Refer to the BCA Commercial Compliance (Class 2 – 9) document for more information.
A Customer’s Story
A bushfire in the Great Otway National Park, Victoria, ravaged homes in the area on Christmas Day 2015. Damo’s home was lucky enough to survive. Whether luck of the draw or the choice to use Weathertex’s BAL 19 rated products, he believes his choice of cladding has played a part in saving his house, when his neighbours homes were devastatingly lost to the fire.
“ I have only been allowed back there once since the fires on Xmas day as it is in the High Impact Zone still blocked and quarantined . My backyard is the edge of the Otway National Park, so I knew it was only time before [it] burnt, and when it did it was gonna burn hot too. I lost all my motorbikes and equipment in the shed and bungalow that burnt – these were just asbestos clad and not re cladded with your product. Even where it burnt up to a meter away from one of the corners of the house, the cladding showed no sign of damage.
This and the fact the house is still standing undamaged at all has surprised even the local CFA, Parks Victoria guys and all my neighbours that have lost their houses. This is the reason I bought and used your product in the first place. I was told it was pretty much the best protection I could use for my location.
The Weathertex has been on the house for at least 11 years now, and this proves to me that it has weathered very well through out all the heat of our summers, and all those freezing southerlys, blowing straight off Bass Straight and the Southern ocean in the winters and yet still standing up to this inferno. It has only been painted once mind you and that was when I put it on [the house]. Even if the Weathertex cladding wasn’t the only reason my home survived, it sure played a huge part and helped me keep it from burning! It’s the only reason I can think of for it surviving, when one third of Wye River disappeared that Christmas Day – So thumbs up Weathertex . ” – Damo from Wye
– One of the neighbours homes devastatingly destroyed on the left. Damon’s house (in the top right corner) is still standing
“…the fact the house is still standing undamaged at all has surprised even the local CFA, Parks Victoria guys and all my neighbours that have lost their houses. This is the reason I bought and used your product in the first place. I was told it was pretty much the best protection I could use for my location.”
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