FireClad® Exterior Wall System

As with most building materials, plasterboard should be handled carefully to prevent damage. It should be stored flat and out of the weather. During construction cover and return packs of unused plasterboard to a dry area overnight. Damaged sheets should not be used.

As with most fire rated systems, base sealing, sealing at the wall perimeter and at any penetrations to ensure fire resistance integrity is achieved is important and, with FireClad® Exerior Wall System, can be readily achieved using an appropriate one part gunnable sealant.

No. The first layer only is screwed to the steel girts with other layer(s) screw laminated to the initial layer at 600 x 600 mm centres. End joints require closer centres, however the use of cordless screw guns with collated screws makes fixing speedy and straightforward.

The section, fixings and fixing centres for the battens are largely decided by the loadings (wind etc.) on the cladding which is attached to them and will be set by the building designer. A minimum batten cavity of 35mm is needed for ventilation within the system.

The simplicity of the system means that a skilled, pre-engineered industrial building contractor can undertake the installation of plasterboard sheets onto the girts as part of the overall construction process.

The FireClad® Exterior Wall System complies with the Building Code of Australia, and is part of an engineered structure. This means that the system should be easy to process through the Development Application and Building Approval stages.

The membrane is a tough barrier to water entering the building. This membrane comes in a wide roll, is oriented horizontally over the fixed Firestop and is stapled directly to it.

The finishing trade skills that usually go with plasterboard are not required as taping and setting of the fixed Firestop is not required, though the fire rating still applies. Fastener centres are important and when fixed, the maximum joint width at ends and edges of the sheets should not exceed 1mm.

To avoid difficulty of screw fixing it is recommended that girts be kept to a maximum of 2mm.  Girts can be spaced at up to 1200mm centres and suitably bridged.  Both cold and hot rolled structural frame members are OK.  Support will be necessary around large penetrations and special details are available for pre-engineered buildings.