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Posted: Sep 10, 2007 06:37 AM	superior wall systems mason.. superior wall systems Xi.. http://www.superiorwalls.com/products_xi.php insulated concrete forms (nice product) 2.5" Dow board on dwelling side of wall (cement on other)(dow board states "need to be covered.." web site states "no need for thermal barrier" how did they get this approval? why then cant we get this approval? i will be spraying the exterior framed walkout with .5 gaco western,,,flame <20 smoke <150,,,better numbers than the dow board,,but my product needs to be rocked..HOW CAN THIS BE??? so all a manufacturer has to do is print on his web site "approved to be left uncovered" and its done? kinda like the "no need for a vapor barrier over our shredded wetted newspaper" if its on the web its bible??? ...just another manic monday....
mason Posted: Sep 10, 2007 08:04 AM	Foamdude, No, full scale fire tests specific to the application are required to determine if a foam plastic can be excluded from the thermal barrier or ignition barrier rule. E-84 flame spread and smoke ratings do not accurately portray how a foam plastic will perform in an actual fire. You can have a foam plastic with great flame spread and smoke developed numbers that flash at fairly low temperatures. (600 to 800 degrees F for sprayfoam typically) It is up to the manufacturer to provide ICC approved test results that show their foam product passes the full scale fire tests, such as UL 1715, UBC 26-3, FM 4880, ASTM E 119 and others.
Posted: Sep 11, 2007 06:34 AM	while it is labled on the board stock with the typical dow thermal barrier statement.. there is a statement that superior walls has an ICC report for this system allowing it to be uncovered.... lets see,.,,dow cant get the icc report/rateing with their own product but superior can with the dow product...? if superior can modifiy the product somehow to get good testing,,,why cant dow? oohh and it makes me wonder...
mason Posted: Sep 11, 2007 08:13 AM	Foamdude, Any company can apply for an ICC evaluation report on a system. Dow may not have performed testing on the specific design that Superior Wall Systems had tested. It is not uncommon for a company to design their own system using a combination of products purchased from others and have it tested for compliance. You also have to consider that how a material is used in a specific application may determine whether it can pass a room corner fire test. For example, the ICC codes allow the use of closed cell class 1 sprayfoam in sill plates and headers without a thermal or ignition barrier. This exception to the thermal barrier rule was determined by full scale room corner fire tests that demonstrated the small amount of sprayfoam did not constitute a greater fire threat than the bare wood or fiberglass insulated sill plate. However, if the sprayfoam was installed to the whole ceiling and wall, it would not pass the test.

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Posted: Sep 10, 2007 06:37 AM

superior wall systems

mason..
superior wall systems Xi.. http://www.superiorwalls.com/products_xi.php
insulated concrete forms (nice product)
2.5" Dow board on dwelling side of wall (cement on other)(dow board states "need to be covered.."
web site states "no need for thermal barrier"
how did they get this approval?
why then cant we get this approval?

i will be spraying the exterior framed walkout with .5 gaco western,,,flame <20 smoke <150,,,better numbers than the dow board,,but my product needs to be rocked..HOW CAN THIS BE???

so all a manufacturer has to do is print on his web site "approved to be left uncovered" and its done?
kinda like the "no need for a vapor barrier over our shredded wetted newspaper"

if its on the web its bible???

...just another manic monday....

mason

Posted: Sep 10, 2007 08:04 AM

Foamdude,

No, full scale fire tests specific to the application are required to determine if a foam plastic can be excluded from the thermal barrier or ignition barrier rule.

E-84 flame spread and smoke ratings do not accurately portray how a foam plastic will perform in an actual fire.

You can have a foam plastic with great flame spread and smoke developed numbers that flash at fairly low temperatures. (600 to 800 degrees F for sprayfoam typically)

It is up to the manufacturer to provide ICC approved test results that show their foam product passes the full scale fire tests, such as
UL 1715, UBC 26-3, FM 4880, ASTM E 119 and others.

Posted: Sep 11, 2007 06:34 AM

while it is labled on the board stock with the typical dow thermal barrier statement..
there is a statement that superior walls has an ICC report for this system allowing it to be uncovered....
lets see,.,,dow cant get the icc report/rateing with their own product but superior can with the dow product...?

if superior can modifiy the product somehow to get good testing,,,why cant dow?

oohh and it makes me wonder...

mason

Posted: Sep 11, 2007 08:13 AM

Foamdude,

Any company can apply for an ICC evaluation report on a system. Dow may not have performed testing on the specific design that Superior Wall Systems had tested. It is not uncommon for a company to design their own system using a combination of products purchased from others and have it tested for compliance.

You also have to consider that how a material is used in a specific application may determine whether it can pass a room corner fire test. For example, the ICC codes allow the use of closed cell class 1 sprayfoam in sill plates and headers without a thermal or ignition barrier. This exception to the thermal barrier rule was determined by full scale room corner fire tests that demonstrated the small amount of sprayfoam did not constitute a greater fire threat than the bare wood or fiberglass insulated sill plate. However, if the sprayfoam was installed to the whole ceiling and wall, it would not pass the test.

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