Cladding questions
Cladding is one type of building material that can form the outside skin of a building. It is used to provide thermal insulation and weather resistance, and to improve the appearance of buildings. While there are many different types and brands of cladding available, there are some types of cladding that are combustible and can be dangerous if a fire occurs. There are three common types of combustible cladding:
- Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) - sandwich type panels are usually between 2-5mm thick, that consist of two aluminium outer layers and a core material.
- Expanded Polystyrene Systems (EPS) - external wall systems comprised of bulk foam insulation that is fixed to a structural frame and then sealed, rendered, and painted.
- Biowood - reconstituted wood plastic composite (WPC) product comprising a mix of reconstituted wood (predominantly 70%), UPVC (a rigid form of PVC used for windows) and additives affixed to buildings to give the same aesthetics and functional attributes as timber.
No, not all cladding is combustible. Many types of cladding are not combustible. However, if you have cladding, it may be combustible cladding and you should get it tested by a fire engineer. It is very hard to be certain of the type of cladding used on a building without expert advice and testing.
The presence of combustible cladding on a building may not necessarily pose a fire safety risk and may not require any remediation work. There are a number of factors which are considered when determining whether combustible cladding on a building may pose a fire safety risk including the total coverage of the cladding, vertical alignment, positioning around balconies, windows or doors, as well as the type of building, the points of egress and the way a building is used. The individual characteristics of each building will determine what the risk of the spread of fire is.
Owners of private buildings with cladding that may be combustible are responsible for ensuring that their building is safe to occupy. Building occupants are responsible for practising fire safety in the building and following the fire safety plan for their building.
Residents of buildings with combustible cladding requiring removal/remediation will usually not need to leave their homes. With active awareness of fire safety behaviours, functioning fire systems and other items identified in a fire risk assessment prepared for their building, most buildings can be safely occupied until remediation works are completed. This is a decision for the building owner (e.g. owners corporation) with advice from a fire engineer.
You can talk to your lessor or the managing agent for the property, who can alert the owners corporation to the issue – they can investigate whether the cladding is combustible and take steps to improve fire safety and/or rectify the cladding.
As a prospective property buyer you could ask the sales agent selling the property or the vendor whether they are aware if the property has combustible cladding.
Other sources of information include:
- Asking the strata managing agent and real estate agent about the history of the building and the outcomes of any assessments of the building; and
- Meeting minutes of the owners corporation.
If you have a solicitor helping you with the purchase they may be able to assist you to access this information.
In most cases, building owners are not generally aware of the type of external cladding materials used, or its combustibility. An owners corporation can engage an experienced fire engineer to sample the cladding to evaluate its fire risk. Owners can then be guided by professional advice as to the best course of action. Visit the Assessing Cladding page for more information.
Eligible owners corporations that participated in the ACT Government’s Private Buildings Cladding Scheme Testing and Assessment phase can apply for a low interest concessional loan for the removal and replacement of combustible cladding.
Owners corporations participating in the concessional loan will be expected to comply with the scheme guidelines such as:
- use suppliers from the Register of Suppliers, or suppliers who are eligible to join the Register;
- ensure only non-combustible materials are used in compliance with the National Construction Code;
- ensure all cladding products that are removed are recycled;
- Project managers must be engaged for works valued more than $1 million; and
- allow site access to a superintendent engaged by the ACT Government who will make site visits.
Register of Suppliers questions
Owners corporations applying for a concessional loan are required to use project managers, builders, architects, façade engineers, structural engineers and building surveyors who are on the Register of Suppliers or eligible to join the Register. You must undertake your own enquiries and make the choice that is right for you.
You should check whether your supplier has the relevant and valid building licence or professional accreditation registration and insurance which is required for the relevant work prior to signing any contract.
No, the ACT Government will not negotiate with any supplier on behalf of a private building owner, whether they are on the Register or not.
The ACT Government will not provide any guidance on the estimated price from any supplier provided in the Register - it is your responsibility to arrange quotations and compare quotations from suppliers.
The ACT Government will not provide any contractual advice to either property owners or registered suppliers.
No, the ACT Government does not provide any guarantee or warranty of the supplier’s work on the hosted Register or any other supplier. The Register is provided by the ACT Government merely as a service and convenience to assist building owners in locating potential suppliers.
No, the ACT Government will not get involved if any dispute arises between private buildings owners and a supplier on the Register.