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A recent demonstration showed Applegate cellulose insulation to be extremely resistant when exposed to direct flame.
When exposed to the especially hot blue flame of a blowtorch, Applegate insulation refused to ignite, with a light charring being the only external reaction to the contact.
Applegate’s fire resistant qualities are owed in large part to a unique, two-stage process of injecting both dry and liquid fire retardants to penetrate its fibers, resulting in an exceptional insulation that exceeds every fire safety standard, and can provide up to 50% better fire resistance than fiberglass. Cellulose insulation also greatly restricts the amount of oxygen available to support combustion.
Cellulose insulation has proven fire-resistant in many other tests as well. Results of one test were impressive enough to persuade the International Building Code Council to allow installation of steel electrical boxes on opposite sides of the same stud cavity, provided that the boxes are separated by cellulose insulation equal in thickness to the depth of the wall cavity.
Yet another test of cellulose insulation pitted two walls with conventional horizontal wood fire stops against two walls filled with spray cellulose. After 30 minutes of exposure to a fire-inducing furnace, the wood fire stops |
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began to fail, allowing smoke and flames to pass. After 62 minutes, the furnace was shut down. The cellulose fire stops still had not failed.
One fire fighter on hand for the demonstration gave cellulose insulation his ringing endorsement, even before the test had begun.
“I have never seen a cellulose insulated house burn to the ground; I’ve seen lots of fiberglass insulated houses burn to the ground.” |