Industry Leaders meet to discuss Safe Cladding in Residential Housing
Melbourne’s weather came to the party when Industry stallwart, Andrew Concannon, met with industry heavyweights Russell Bielenberg (Manufacturing and Product Development Foamex Group Pty Ltd) and Justin Kelsey (General Manager Foamex Group Pty Ltd)).
The group met to discuss the important issues: Media using ‘Fake News’ and false information to smear eifs cladding in general, and the inherent safety of technically certified and accredited usage of EPS cladding systems, such as the Codemark accredited Unitex Base Board.
While it is easy to make sweeping statements and generalisations, it is not much harder to look at the facts and tell the truth.
There are millions of square meters of specialty rendered EIFS cladding used worldwide. As mentioned in previous articles, EIFS rendered cladding systems, such as the National Construction Code conforming Unitex Base Board are safe and reliable, when installed as a complete system according to specification. Apart from the fact that Unitex have been safely installing these systems for over 30 years in Australia, the benefits and reasons for such systems worldwide is due to the need for energy efficiency in our current environment of ever increasing energy prices. EIFS systems such as Base Board have been proven to reduce heating and cooling bills by up to 30%. Internationally for 50 years, and nationally for the last 30 years, Unitex own records show accredited and warranted systems such as Base Board have not contributed to house fires or spread of fire to date.
The lightweight EIFS cladding market, and indeed the building products market in general, have a serious issue with cost-cutting substitutions of quality, specified products, with inferior and sometimes dangerous, imported non-accredited products. When a project has been planned, engineered and specified to use a quality cladding system, it is done for a reason. Safety and reliability for the occupants.
Including proven, accredited and warranted Australian made cladding systems such as Base Board, in untrue sweeping statements that all rendered polystyrene ‘esky’ houses are unsafe, is fear mongering at its worst.
If you are unsure or worried that you’re cladding façade is non-conforming, contact Unitex or ensure your builder and building specifier, specify the Unitex Base Board system, which conforms to the National Construction Code.
With today’s vast and easy access to information, it is easy for everyone to research the truth on correctly rendered polystyrene cladding systems, and discover the safety, money saving and design benefits only EIFS polystyrene cladding can provide on your next project.