With all the significant changes to the fire safety codes underway in California and other western states, you have some decking solutions to consider. Thermally modified Hem Fir fire resistant decking is now available at our West coast sales and distribution center. Introducing Mataverde ThermaWood FR decking. Both the decking and siding meet the new fire code requirements in California.
Many of the new building codes, including ICC (International Code Council), IRC and IBC, are now adopting more stringent flame resistance performance testing than ever before. The key difference in the new code rules is that an additional 20 minutes of flame resistance testing is now required in many regions. The building codes are being enforced in more fire hazard areas than ever, including WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) zones.
Mataverde ThermaWood FR (Fire Retardant Treated) Hem Fir Decking has been evaluated by the ICC to meet many of these new code requirements. Please see the evaluation report below. The latest fire code requirements are being adopted in more areas daily. The best practice is to always check the local requirements in your area with the authority (or authorities) having jurisdiction. State, county, and local building codes and local building inspectors are often very knowledgeable, and a good place to start.
DOWNLOAD ICC-ES ESR-1159 WUI Evaluation Document for Mataverde Fire Retardant Treated wood
Mataverde ThermaWood FR Western Hem Fir decking is a fire retardant decking option and is now available in our west coast sales and distribution center. Material is ready to ship throughout the west coast including Rocky Mountain states. Each fire retardant decking board is individually labelled for easy identification.
Current offerings of Mataverde ThermaWood FR Hem Fir decking include 5/4 x 6 nominal size in a traditional S4S E4E decking profile. ThermaWood FR decking is available in lengths of 8' through 20', odd and even lengths, random length tallies only. Most of the material is in the 8' through 13' range. Some 14' though 20' lengths are also offered, in limited quantities, whenever they’re available.
Mataverde ThermaWood FR Hem Fir decking looks a lot like Western Red Cedar decking. Thermally modified Hem Fir decking is more stable, more durable, and more consistent in color than cedar or the original (non-modified) Hem Fir decking material.
Compare Thermally Modified Hem Fir to Western Red Cedar
The material is C+ Better Grade mixed grain. In this grade you can expect mostly mixed grain and flat sawn Hemlock boards. In this more rustic grade of Hemlock or Hem Fir decking, you will see a fair amount of mineral streaking and some knots are allowed per board. Most of the knots are small and tight.
Mataverde FR ThermaWood Fire Retardant Decking C+ Better grade
RELATED: DOWNLOAD THERMAWOOD HEM FIR BROCHURE
If you don't like the appearance of a portion of boards, the solution is to defect-cut out that portion and use the remaining usable portion of the board in your project.
*Pro Tip - Always order extra decking to cover your needs for trimming, fitting, and defect-cutting your boards. This lets you use the best boards and the best portions of each decking board to meet your needs. Any extra materials may be saved and stored on site as 'attic stock'. Keeping a small amount of leftover material is the best insurance policy in case you ever need more later.
For additional information about Mataverde ThermaWood FR decking and siding, please visit our website:
Mataverde ThermaWood FR Fire Retardant Treated Hem-Fir Siding and Decking info
ThermaWood Hem Fir Installation, Care and Maintenance Guidelines
ThermaWood Hem-Fir Siding Project Photo Gallery
Thermally Modified Decking Project Photo Gallery