Anybody know if any shou sugi ban products are approved for use in Los Angeles VHFHSZ? Code says:
"Exterior walls shall be approved noncombustible or ignition-resistant material, heavy timber, or log wall construction or shall provide protection from the intrusion of flames and embers in accordance with standard SFM 12-7A-1 (704A.3)"
..but I have yet to find any such product that has been tested according to SFM 12-7a-1.
Thanks..
Steve Smith
Jul 23, 18 4:39 pm
I am in the paint-and-coatings manufacturing business, although I have avoided fire-retardant products simply because there are too many folks already offering such products. I prefer to offer unique products.
This post caught my attention because, having recently developed a surface-stabilization treatment for Shou Sugi Ban that eliminates the flaking and charcoal contact-transfer, in the course of that I had to learn something about this wood-treatment.
The essence of it is that it develops a char of essentially charcoal on the surface.The charcoal thickness may be less than a millimeter, **or may be many millimeters**, and there we have an opportunity to do some thermal engineering.
The charcoal itself is combustible, although far less than plain wood. The charcoal is porous, (and if thick-enough offers a degree of thermal insulation) which suggests that some commercially available fire retardant treatment might be a candidate to impregnate that charcoal layer and thus give a surface that would certainly be more fire-resistant than chemical-impregnated cellulosic material, namely wood.
I googled your referenced specification and found this
and it clearly states that appropriately fire-retardant-treated wood may meet its requirements, because it gives that as an option. If plain wood so treated can meet its requirements, I suggest that wood bearing a layer of fire-retardant-treated-charcoal ought to more easily meet that specification.
If you have a client that wants to support your development work, the above might offer a Path Forward.
ask these guys, almost the only ones offering it in the states.
Steve Smith
Jul 23, 18 6:18 pm
There are two other suppliers of Shou Sugi Ban; Delta Millworks https://deltamillworks.com/sho... in Texas and reSAWN Timber Co https://resawntimberco.com/sho.... in Pennsylvania, these latter three offering the Made In America option; there maybe others but I only see those four suppliers on a casual Google search.
SneakyPete
Jul 23, 18 8:20 pm
You can also make your own if you have a contractor you trust and the time / money / interest to do enough mock-ups. If you can find a coating that you can convince your AHJ to allow (using an engineering judgement or similar) that could work.
thisisnotmyname
Apr 9, 20 2:44 pm
I'm waiting for Hardiplank to introduce man-made Shou Sugi Ban panels.
Anybody know if any shou sugi ban products are approved for use in Los Angeles VHFHSZ? Code says:
"Exterior walls shall be approved noncombustible or ignition-resistant material, heavy timber, or log wall construction or shall provide protection from the intrusion of flames and embers in accordance with standard SFM 12-7A-1 (704A.3)"
..but I have yet to find any such product that has been tested according to SFM 12-7a-1.
Thanks..
I am in the paint-and-coatings manufacturing business, although I have avoided fire-retardant products simply because there are too many folks already offering such products. I prefer to offer unique products.
This post caught my attention because, having recently developed a surface-stabilization treatment for Shou Sugi Ban that eliminates the flaking and charcoal contact-transfer, in the course of that I had to learn something about this wood-treatment.
The essence of it is that it develops a char of essentially charcoal on the surface.The charcoal thickness may be less than a millimeter, **or may be many millimeters**, and there we have an opportunity to do some thermal engineering.
The charcoal itself is combustible, although far less than plain wood. The charcoal is porous, (and if thick-enough offers a degree of thermal insulation) which suggests that some commercially available fire retardant treatment might be a candidate to impregnate that charcoal layer and thus give a surface that would certainly be more fire-resistant than chemical-impregnated cellulosic material, namely wood.
I googled your referenced specification and found this
http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/downlo...
and it clearly states that appropriately fire-retardant-treated wood may meet its requirements, because it gives that as an option. If plain wood so treated can meet its requirements, I suggest that wood bearing a layer of fire-retardant-treated-charcoal ought to more easily meet that specification.
If you have a client that wants to support your development work, the above might offer a Path Forward.
http://nakamotoforestry.com/
http://charredwood.com/
ask these guys, almost the only ones offering it in the states.
There are two other suppliers of Shou Sugi Ban; Delta Millworks https://deltamillworks.com/sho... in Texas and reSAWN Timber Co https://resawntimberco.com/sho.... in Pennsylvania, these latter three offering the Made In America option; there maybe others but I only see those four suppliers on a casual Google search.
You can also make your own if you have a contractor you trust and the time / money / interest to do enough mock-ups. If you can find a coating that you can convince your AHJ to allow (using an engineering judgement or similar) that could work.
I'm waiting for Hardiplank to introduce man-made Shou Sugi Ban panels.