Is Your Exterior Wall Assembly Fire-Tested?  It Should Be. (8-5-2025)

NFPA 285 isn’t a product certification—it’s an assembly-based test.  No single product can be labeled “NFPA 285 compliant.”  Instead, it evaluates how an entire exterior wall assembly, specifically one using combustible components like a cladding material, foam insulation or FRP materials, performs in a fire – as a whole.

Why this matters:

Cladding support systems (including our own) often create air cavities, which can fuel flames during a fire.  And when combustible materials like FRP are used in those support systems, they not only add to the fire load, they could also fail structurally, causing cladding to fall off and creating serious safety and egress risks.

For example, in fire testing of our CI® System, the foam insulation was completely consumed (gone), but the steel girts remained intact and attached to the wall—no collapse, no catastrophic failure.  That’s the strength of non-combustible materials.

The building code now outlines three clear ways to demonstrate NFPA 285 compliance (IBC 1402.8):

✔️ A full assembly tested and meeting the acceptance criteria of NFPA 285.

✔️ A assembly listed by an approved agency for compliance with NFPA 285.

✔️ An approved analysis based on an appropriate NFPA 285 test.

And with recent updates to Chapter 14 of the 2024 IBC (1402.5), it’s easier than ever to find all relevant NFPA 285 requirements in one place—no more “Where’s Waldo” in the codebook.

Bottom line:

If your exterior wall assembly includes combustible elements—FRP, foam insulation, or otherwise—NFPA 285 compliance could be required.

Fire safety starts with the full wall system, not just its surface.

Don’t just meet code—exceed it.

Click here to contact Knight Wall Systems to discuss fire-safe cladding support solutions

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