VETTA Windows® was ready when RDH suggested “Let’s set your windows on fire!”
Wildfire can expose homes to intense flames. When fire gets through a window or other opening, the consequences can be severe. Keeping flames outside is a key part of wildfire-resilient building design.
Under wildfire exposure, window glass, frames, seals and installation interfaces all contribute to whether flames reach the protected interior side.
VETTA’s wood window frames are unique in the North American market, as they are constructed of thick solid wood made from mass timber, with aluminium cladding mounted on the exterior. Combined with triple glazing, one tempered pane and airtight sealing, VETTA was eager to test their ELITE E92 window.
VETTA worked with RDH Building Science, in a program led by James Bourget. The test (Image 4) was completed at the Kamloops Fire Rescue Training Centre in British Columbia. To replicate wildfire exposure, operable and fixed windows were exposed for eight minutes to a scorching 150 kW, equivalent to the heat flux in an industrial blast furnace.
The windows successfully met the performance intent of California’s Wildfire Standard SFM 12-7A-2.
Some localized frame combustion and warping of the aluminum cladding was noted, which self-extinguished. Some exterior glass cracked, yet none of the windows allowed flame penetration to the protected interior side, and operable units remained functional.
‘The window doesn’t have to be the weak point in a wildfire. In fact, it can be a point of strength.’
James Hawkey, VETTA Windows
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