BAL-FZ compliant weatherboards from UBIQ were selected for two new homes
being built in the Blue Mountains suburb of Winmalee, NSW.
The owners approached Ian Gough of A Grade Constructions with a brief to
construct the new dwellings in accordance with the Australian Standard AS
3959-2009 for Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas. The previous houses
on the sites were destroyed by the October 2013 Blue Mountains fires and both
the sites were assessed to be Bushfire Attack Level – Flame Zone (BAL-FZ), the
most extreme zone within the standard.
Among several requirements, the external walls needed to meet BAL-FZ
certification, which is equal to an FRL of 30/30/30. The owners also sought to
retain the weatherboard finish of their old homes in the new construction.
Ian Gough researched various options for weatherboards that had BAL-FZ certification
and selected UBIQ’s INEX>WEATHERBOARD for meeting the compliance
requirements while also providing the most affordable solution.
To meet BAL-FZ compliance, various weatherboard profiles in the market
required the wall to be clad first with a fire resistant plasterboard, and then
over clad with the weatherboard, preferably with battens to provide a cavity to
protect the plasterboard.
INEX>WEATHERBOARD does not need any fire rated plasterboard to
achieve BAL-FZ (or even an FRL of 60/60/60, which is twice the requirement of
BAL-FZ). UBIQ weatherboards can be fixed directly to the timber or steel frame
with their interlocking profile allowing simple installation. The
weatherboard’s tongue and grooved ends allow it to be stud joined without the
need for any fire sealant; once the lowest board is fixed all the other boards
self-level onto the one below.
With each new house requiring 250 square metres of weatherboard, Ian
Gough was able to save the homeowners about $15,000 on each build by using
INEX>WEATHERBOARD. The savings were achieved by avoiding use of the fire
rated plasterboard, timber battens and other flashings, all of which were not required
with the INEX>WEATHERBOARD system. In addition to providing bushfire protection,
INEX>WEATHERBOARD is also priced competitively when compared to other 16mm
thick weatherboard products.
UBIQ provided A Grade Constructions with all the necessary documents for
BAL-FZ compliance and construction detailing.
INEX>WEATHERBOARD is available in two sizes:
180mm for 150mm coverage and 204mm for 172mm coverage. The weatherboard is available
with a smooth finish for paint application, or a rough surface for a timber stained
application.
