View this product

Exterior Balconies

Balconies are familiar sights on multi-story residential buildings. A balcony with a wood deck leads to more rentable or saleable property by providing residents with the opportunity to conveniently enjoy the outdoors.
Residents of apartments and condominiums enjoy outdoor barbecuing, just like residents of single family homes, even if it means barbecuing on the balcony instead of in the yard.
Wood is the preferred choice for decking material, but what can be done to keep that barbecue from setting the deck on fire and spreading the fire beyond the deck surface?One answer is Exterior Fire-X. Exterior Fire-X is recognized by building codes for exterior applications.

The photo on the above shows an excellent example of balconies built with Exterior Fire-X. The balconies are attractively finished to provide construction economy for the owner and builder, as well as fire safety and the warmth of wood to the resident.

Insurance Recognition
Fire-Retardant Treated Wood (FRTW) is recognized by the insurance industry as slow burning and can result in reduced insurance rates when used in lieu of untreated wood.

The wood is treated with a UL-labeled exterior-type retardant and finished with a high quality paint. Call Hoover for finishing guidelines.

Code Section
BOCA National Building Code, Section 1406.4: Balconies and similar appendages: Unless balconies on building of combustible construction (Types 3, 4, and 5) are constructed of FRTW they must have the fire resistance rating required for the floors or be of heavy timber construction.

SBCCI Standard Building Code, Section 1404.3: Balconies and Bay Windows: FRTW can be used for balconies and bay windows on buildings of noncombustible construction.

ICBO Uniform Building Code: FRTW can be used for this application though there are no specific requirements in the code.