Polyisoboard insulation offers one of the highest R-values per inch of any insulating material available to the commercial market, making it an attractive option for many builders. However, unlike fibrous insulationssuch asmineral wool or fiberglass that are inherently non-combustible,polyisois a plastic foam, making it more likely to burn. As a result, one of the most common questions we get about ourpolyisoboards,AP™ Foil-Faced Foam SheathingandCI Max®, iswhether or notit can be used in a
non-combustible or rated wall assembly.
To navigate this question, we must first explore how insulation materials are tested for fire resilience. Since exterior insulation,like AP™ Foil-Faced Foam Sheathing or CI Max®,is not the only component in a wall system,the material must be testedas part of a completewallassembly using the NFPA 285 test method.This helps ensure that the material is tested in the same manner that it would be installed and used in a real-world application.The objective of this test is toevaluate how well exterior wall assemblies with combustible componentscanresist flamespread. The goalis to ensurethat buildings will be built in a manner thatlimits flame propagation through the exterior wall of a building during a fire.
The NFPA test exposes complete wall assemblies to controlled flames to explore how quickly and under what conditions the flame spreadsthroughthe assembly. During this test, researchers looknot onlyat how far the flames spread butalso athow the wall componentsareimpacted by the flamesas well asthe temperature rise within the assembly.They are looking to verify that the insulation material,as well as the wall components,remain mostly intact with minimal melting or charring.
AP™ Foil-Faced Foam Sheathingand CI Max have each beenapproved for usein 9 different wallcladding assemblies.During theNFPA 285testing,3.5” of AP™ Foil-Faced FoamSheathingor 3.5” of CI Max wasinstalledas continuous insulation for use under the cladding systems listed below:
- Brick: Standard 4 inch thick
- Stucco: Minimum ¾ inch thick
- Stone Veneer:Minimum 2-inch thick; limestone or natural stone veneer
- Terra Cotta Cladding:Minimum 1 ¼ inch thick; any terracotta cladding system
- Precast Concrete Panels or Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU):Minimum 1 ½ inch thick
- NEWAutoclaved-Aerated Concrete (AAC) panels
- NEWThin Brick System:Minimum ¾-inch thick
- NEWUninsulated Fiber Cement Board:Minimum ¼-inch thick
- NEW Solid Metal Panels: Minimum 3-mm thick; steel, aluminum, copper, etc.
Thetestassembly was constructed and testedfirstwith the weakest exterior cladding system: 3mm thick aluminum panels. An engineering judgment wasthenmade by a qualified,third-party engineering testing firm to include additional approvals for systems with comparable or lesser(better performing)fire propagation characteristics. This is industry standardpracticefor developingagreater scope for each assembly test. The objective isto afford designers the widest palette of materials to use with a significant safety factor applied.
AP™ Foil-Faced Foam Sheathing and CI Maxexceededall NFPA 285 test requirements.As a result, we canconfidentlysay that using JM’spolyisoinsulation boards as one of the components in an NFPA 285 tested and approved wall assembly, will meetthe most restrictive commercialbuilding code requirements.
Thistestingallows building designers to capitalize on the excellent insulating properties ofpolyisoinsulationboards under a variety of differentexteriorveneers, including solid metal panels,with the knowledge that they will be in full compliance with the latestbuilding fire codes.Asdesigners and architects look for new ways to improve building efficiency, materials with exceptional
R-values, likepolyisoinsulation boards, will help pave the way for more energy-efficient structures. By using tests like NFPA 285, we can helpbuild safer wall assemblies that help maximizethe energy efficiency of the building.
For more information about NFPA 285 approved wall assemblies, please visit