Linea^™ Weatherboard's fire-resistant claims put to the test

When John Duffin heard that his recently completed beach house at Mangawhai Heads had caught fire, he feared it had been burned to the ground.

What he didn't know was that the James Hardie Linea Weatherboard he'd installed only three years earlier had ended up saving his house – of course, with more than a little help from the smoke alarms and the sterling efforts of the Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Service.

John says he didn't even know about the fire-resistant qualities of James Hardie Linea Weatherboard when he built the house, and his decision was made for quite different reasons.

"Cladding is possibly the biggest decision you make when building a house. It determines the overall look and feel of the home. The house sits right on the estuary at Mangawhai Heads and is also adjacent to some major sand hills. I needed cladding that looked good and would stand up to the corrosive salty air and the large amounts of sand that gets blown across," he says.

Naturally, when most people are building a new home, they don't imagine that it will catch fire, but when John's did, the Linea Weatherboard stood strong. Mangawhai Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Paget says that the Linea Weatherboard's resistance almost certainly saved the house.

"The fire started underneath the fireplace then burned up the back through the timber chimney box until it met the James Hardie Linea Weatherboard on the exterior wall. It burned for at least half an hour but only slightly cracked the board. If the exterior wall had succumbed, it would have fed oxygen to the fire and it would have consumed the house," says Mr Paget.

Mr Paget was impressed with the durability of the Linea Weatherboard. He says the intensity of the fire's heat took even their seasoned fire crew by surprise.

"Our guys were quite taken aback by the heat. The insulation was dripping onto our helmets and the steel had even warped. The neighbours were out hosing down their house for fear it would catch fire. It really put the Linea Weatherboard to the test, and then some," he says.

Needless to say, it was a test that Linea Weatherboard passed resoundingly. John Duffin was so impressed that he contacted James Hardie directly to give positive feedback. His email acknowledged the role Linea Weatherboard played in saving his home and said while his home had sustained unavoidable smoke damage, with a bit of temporary lining, he was amazed he still had a beach house to use for the summer.