P.O Box 515 Mansfield
Mansfield 3724
VIC AU
Tel 0409 941 333
Fire Resistance of Log Homes
Log Home Survived Untouched in 2009 Black Saturday Fires near Marysville
Our log homes use 14" to 18" diameter whole logs. You probably already know from personal experience that it is easy to burn kindling. No one with any experience in starting a camp fire would commence with timber that is not split. We build the Log Walls fitting them horizontally and have no gaps between them. This means that flames can not take hold easily. Needless to say, the logs will be scorched in a fire, but can be cleaned up effectively by sandblasting. Recent analysis in Canada, United States, Germany, Finland and the Czech Republic subjected a Log Wall to a vigorous test placing a Handcrafted Scandinavian Full Scribed Log Wall into a burning furnace at a temperature of 1100 degrees Celsius for a test time of 3 hours with a simulated roof load of 15kN per/m. At 60 minutes later there was no recorded temperature change on the inside wall and at 120 minutes the inside wall temperature had risen to 48 degrees Celsius, the test wall had compressed under simulated roof load only 5mm in height at 174 minutes near the end of the test period of 3 Hours. Fire damage recorded at the end of the test period was a maximum of only 25mm of charring at the extreme outer edge of the Log Wall. In conclusion, the test established that a Handcrafted Log Wall 2400h x 4000w withstood 3 Hours at 1100 degrees Celsius from its integrity and insulation view point and 174 minutes from the point of its load bearing capacity.
Over the years, there have been many reports of fires that have burnt around log buildings without destroying the building’s structural integrity, illustrating the fire resistive nature of solid wood walls. It is a combination of the insulating response of the charred wood at the surface with the slow rate at which flame will spread along the wood surface, and the fact that there are no concealed cavities in a log wall through which the fire may travel (ultimate fire blocking!). The use of Full Round logs for the Log Trusses, Roof Beam's, veranda post, makes log structures a top choice for safety, endurance and fire resistance.
As an organic material, wood is combustible. Yet its insulating and charring characteristics produce an astounding resistance to fire. While wood begins to char at 150oC, commonly exceeded in the first five minutes of an accidental fire, the wood beneath the char remains structurally sound. Compare this unique response to that of structural steel which loses 50% of its strength at 540oC. The charring effect of wood results in a protective coating over the surface of the uncharred material. (remaining material retains its structural strength)This protective char coat is similar to the effect created by some chemicals used as a fire retardant to protect materials and structures during fires.
Study's And Reports Undertaken On Fire Resistance Of Log Homes
Performance Of Solid Timber External Walls Under Simulated Bushfire Attack PDF
